Minero Region Adventures!
by Justy1993
Summary: Meet Justin Riser. An exuberant, yet dramatic boy who barely passes his trainer exam to become a Pokemon Trainer. His adventures take him to a new region called Minero, where he meets new friends (the timid but sweet Aly Eatos), new Pokemon and new challenges (the controversial Team Immortal) a long the way. Original Character Story. Cover trainers by: joy-ling DA
1. Chapter 1 - New Beginnings

_**A/N: Hello people who decide to read this story. This is my first ever attempt at writing a story/fanfic. I enjoy Pokemon and thought it would be cool to write my own story about new characters and their adventures. If you are reading, please feel free to review after. I would say I'm an ok writer, but not an expert or what so ever. So, i'm very open to constructive criticism on writing techniques, story development ideas, etc.**_

_**Revision Update: April 8th, 2015. Fixed a bunch of grammar and wording errors. Will be under continual watch for possible further editting too.**_

**Chapter 1 – New Beginnings**

It seemed like any other normal night in Revo Town. A gentle breeze blowing through the air, the odd streetlight flickering on and off, and people strolling through the streets. The night sky was beautiful, filled with many stars and a full moon that looked down upon the town. Tall skyscraper size buildings were plotted everywhere around the city with advertisement billboards and construction sites occupying various spaces. From a window on the 5th floor of an estate apartment, a boy with long black hair and fair skin looked out into the streets.

"_Wait, could that be..." _Justin Riser thought as he looked down from his room, adrenaline running through his body.

Justin looked on as a shadowed figure entered into the light from a dark alley.

"_Oh, just the garbage man..." _he thought, very disappointed in what he saw.

Tomorrow was his 15th birthday, and the day he would start his Pokémon trainer journey. But, the past few weeks, Justin felt more sadness and worry then happiness.

"It seems like it was just yesterday that I got my Pokémon Trainer's license," Justin said to himself. He then looked up to the sky and dipped into his pool of memories.

"Please sir, you got to let me in!" Justin begged as he knelt before the exam proctor, pulling on his jacket.

"Mr. Riser, I'm sorry but you failed the test. You'll have to try again next year to obtain your Pokémon Trainer's license," the proctor said pulling away from the desperate boy.

"I got a 49! That's basically a pass! Can't you bump it up one percent?"

"Hmmm, I don't know..."

"Sir! This is my dream! I need…like, really need, to go on this journey! Won't you please make an exception this one time?!" Justin rambled on.

"Well...All right fine. I guess I can pull a few strings. You're in, Mr. Riser." The proctor sighed.

"ALL RIGHT! Thank you so much sir!"

"Congratulations young man. Here is your temporary trainer pass. You'll need to bring that to the register's office before the end of this week. You'll then receive a package containing documents you'll need that explain other important details." The proctor explained.

"Sounds good! Again, thank you so much! You won't regret it!" Justin exclaimed as he skipped happily out of the exam room.

"_Geez…thankfully he's gone. I wonder if I really did the right thing." _The exam proctor wondered.

That was the happiest Justin had ever in his life so far. The day he became an officially certified Pokémon Trainer and would start his journey in the Minero Region. He may have not been the smartest kid in the class, but was definitely noted for his exuberant personality and determination.

Once a kid turns 15, they are eligible to start a Pokémon journey in the wondrous Minero Region, where Pokémon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh can be found. The age requirement is much later than most kids from other Pokémon regions, but they at least still get to pursue their Pokémon Trainer dreams.

"THIS TOTALLY SUCKS! AT THIS RATE, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT EVEN LONGER TO BECOME A POKEMON TRAINER!" Justin dramatically shouted out his window. The passing pedestrians on the street looked at him with bewildered stares, which caused the boy to settle down.

Justin looked back down at the ledge he was leaning against. Tears began to form under his eyes.

"_What am I going to do now...?" _Justin thought to himself. "_Of all the times in the world for him to bail, why now?"_

And with that, another trip down memory lane occurred.

"Really? You mean it Dad?" Justin asked.

"Of course son! I know you'll do great on the exam in a few weeks. So, you're mother and I decided that now would be a great time to get you the Pokémon you'll start out with on your journey!" Justin's father explained.

"Wow, thank you so much Dad!" Justin said happily.

"Now Atticus dear, I've packed all your things for your trip in the bag down the stairs." Justin's mom said.

"Thanks Cheryl! Now Justin, I'll be back from Kanto as soon as I can with your new Pokémon!" Atticus exclaimed.

"Can I know which Pokémon it will be?" Justin asked curiously.

"It's a surprise!" Atticus replied with a wink.

"Aw man, I hate waiting. Fine then! I'll be waiting!"

"Don't worry, it's going to be good whatever you get. All right Justin, see you in a week!" Atticus said waving goodbye to his son. He then gave Justin's mother a hug and kiss goodbye before walking out the front door.

"Mom, do you know which Pokémon he'll be getting?" Justin asked.

"I don't know honey. But, I'm sure it'll be a good one!" Justin mom replied.

That was the last time anyone saw Justin's father since he left 4 weeks ago. It was like he up and disappeared, vanished from their lives.

Justin's father went away on many business trips during the year to the Pokémon-populated regions. What he did there exactly, Justin didn't know. Atticus went away so often that he wasn't home all that much. Though, he was always true to his word when setting a timeline to come back home. But about a week ago, he sent a letter back to Justin's house. It was a rather short and blunt as it read:

"_All,_

_I'll be in the Minero Region for an extended period of time. Don't know when I'll be back._

_\- Atticus"_

Justin's father was going to stay at the Minero region for an unknown period of time. Even after the promise he made to Justin, Atticus managed to let him down the time his son needed him the most. This presented Justin with a big dilemma.

In the Eruva Region, the chance of wild Pokémon appearing is about 1000 to 1. The last wild Pokémon spotted was about 7 years ago, and it was captured by the Eruva Government to send back to a more Pokémon-Populated region. But, the Eruva Unified Government (EUG) has recognized the dreams of kids wanting to become Pokémon trainers. Most of the parents and working citizens were Pokémon trainers themselves before moving to Eruva and want their children to experience a journey of their own in the Pokémon world. That is why Eruva has implemented a legal process that kids must follow In order to start their journey.

First, they must receive an education diploma so that kids could go on to higher educational institutes and later apply for city jobs after their journeys. After this, they have to write a formal examination that test many competencies such as knowledge on Pokémon, ability to make quick &amp; smart decisions, how they would handle by themselves, etc. If passed, the successful students would journey to the special Minero region.

Second, Eruva Region kids must have their own Pokémon to start their journey. Due to the lack of Pokémon in Eruva, the EUG created a government fund for parents whose kids were planning to become Pokémon Trainers. It was an amount of money that allowed parents to travel to other regions and catch starting Pokémon for their children. Sure, it wasn't the official first Pokémon of the kid, but usually they become the most important to them. Most of the kids Justin knew going to Minero already had their Pokémon.

Unfortunately for him, his dad hasn't returned with his, which he needed in order to start his journey.

"Honey, are you all right? I heard some screaming up here." Justin's Mom asked concernedly as she opened his room door.

"What am I going to do Mom? I think I might die if I don't go on this journey." Justin cried out dramatically as he dropped to the ground and tugged on his mother's dress.

"Oh Justin, quit being a drama queen." She said as she lightly smacked the top of his head.

"Ow! Mom!"

"But, I'm very sorry."

Justin looked up and saw his mother's sad and sympathetic expression.

"It's ok Mom. It's not your fault." Justin said as he got back up. Having no Pokémon to start his journey presented a major problem for Justin. It may result in him having to stay in Eruva and wait another year.

"I'm going to go anyway Mom," Justin said confidently looking back up at her.

"Are you sure? You know you don't have your own Pokémon yet. You'll be sent back here and be in big trouble." she said worriedly.

"I know, that won't stop me from achieving my goal of being the greatest Pokémon trainer in the world."

"But...Justin..."

"Trust me Mom. Don't worry, I'll find a way around this. Count on it." Justin said, putting his hands on his mom's shoulders, giving her a reassured look. His mother started to giggle.

"You're so dramatic. Ok Justin, you show them." His mom remarked.

"Thanks Mom!" Justin said excitedly as he embraced his mom in a hug. "I promise I won't let you down."

"I think it's time for you to go to bed. You've got a big day ahead of you."

"Right!" Justin said as he let go of his mother. "Goodnight Mom."

"Goodnight dear. Get some sleep." Justin's mom replied. She turned around and left his room. Justin then started to pack things into his backpack such as clothes and other handy camping gadgets. Justin looked back onto his desk to see his trainer's pass and ferry ticket lying there.

"_Can't forget these. Imagine? Awkward._" Justin thought to himself as he put them into the side pouch of his bag.

After packing up everything he could think of, Justin changed into his PJ's and settled underneath the bed sheets.

"_Well, tomorrow is the big day. Can't wait to start this,_" Justin thought. It was only a matter of time before he fell into a sleep that would lead him to the most important day of his life.

"Justin, we're here now," Justin's mom quietly said, waking him from his sleep.

Justin slowly opened his eyes, as the sunlight was too strong to open them quickly. He had fallen asleep in the car on the way to the harbour. Once his eyes fully opened, he saw the beautiful blue ocean on his right. The place was busy with many people walking around. Justin removed his long dark grey jacket lying on top of him and got out of the car. He felt the nice breeze against his arms. The sun was shining and the outdoor weather was warm. The faint sound of the water waves hitting against the harbour's ground meant that the ocean was quite lively. It was a perfect day to ship towards the Minero region.

"Are you ready Justin?" His mother asked him.

"I'm always ready!" Justin replied.

"Oh honey, I'm going to miss you," she said sadly.

"I'm going to miss you too mom. Don't worry, I'll keep in touch. There are video phones in the Pokémon centres, so I'll call every now and then. I'm going to win the whole Minero League and bring you home a nice trophy!"

"I can't wait to hear about it!" his mother said happily. "By the way, have you figured out what you're going to do about the Pokémon situation?"

"No...But I'll think of something. Don't I always?"

"…Sure... Anyways, good luck Justin. Try your best and please be careful out there."

"Thanks mom. I love you," Justin said as he hugged his mother. Just then, the boat horn rang loudly.

"Make sure you give me a call within the first few days of you arriving in Minero." Justin's mom replied, slowly letting go of her son.

"Got it Mom. I'll be sure to do it when I get a chance. Bye!" Justin said. He then turned around and walked towards the ship. He flashed his ticket at the attendant, who then guided him to the upper deck. He walked towards the railing and leaned against it. Justin saw his mother down below on the port. They both waved to each other as the boat slowly sailed away. Once she was out of sight, Justin then faced towards the direction the ship was sailing in.

"_Finally...my real journey begins. It's been real Eruva. Minero Region….here I come."_

_**First Chapter down! Please review if you have any feedback!**_


	2. Chapter 2 - A Bond is Formed

_**A/N: Hello to those of you who are reading this. It feels good to see that people are actually clicking on my story to view/read it. Here is the next chapter. Again, review if you feel you have to say anything (hopefully no flames lol).**_

_**Edit: June 2015**_

**Chapter 2 – A Bond is formed**

The ferry had just docked at the port of Mineral Town in the Minero Region. There were plenty of ships all around docked at their respective aisles with many people either boarding or leaving the boats.

"_Man, thank god that boat ride is over"_thought a wobbly Justin as he walked down the stairs.

Boats had never been his thing due to his re-occurring motion sickness, but Justin quickly shook it off. It was a beautiful day in Mineral Town today with nice, comfortable weather. The cool breeze was pleasant as it blew through his black hair. The sun shined brightly which made his tanned skin glow. He stepped off the boat and onto the harbour, put on his dark grey jacket and grabbed his trainer's pass and Poke-guide from his bag to figure out his next move.

"All right, time to go to Professor Rose's Lab in order to register myself for the Minero League!" Justin shouted out loud while raising his fist in the air

'_If only I had my own Pokémon that is..."_He then dropped his head lower, letting out a big sigh. Justin needed to find a Pokémon quick if he wanted to start his journey.

"Hmmm. Well, maybe I'll just look around the area first." Justin started walking from the harbour and into the city. There were a lot of local shops and restaurants located in this town. Pokémon merchandise was displayed outside every second store. There were a lot less business people and more Pokémon trainers and families with kids, unlike the Eruva Region. He noticed that all the buildings had a gray-ish colour theme to them too. As Justin walked down the streets, he saw a bunch of the trainers had a Pokémon travelling with them out of their ball. One kid had a Tailow sitting on his shoulder, while one girl carried a Marill in her arms.

"This place is nothing like the Eruva region. It rocks!" Justin smirked.

"Hello there and welcome to Mineral Town!" a perky woman shouted as she popped up right in front of Justin.

"Whoa! Uh, hi there," Justin said startled.

"Are you new around these parts?"

"Actually, I am."

"Yeah, I figured. You look a bit lost. Well, here's a map of the town. Its main attractions are highlighted in yellow, so be sure to check them out."

"Oh wow, thanks so much miss," Justin smiled as he received the map from her.

"If I were to guess, you're here from the Eruva Region to start your Pokémon journey," the lady exclaimed.

"That's me! Name is Justin Riser! My dream is to be a Pokémon Master!" Justin said with energy.

"Haha, I knew it! Well, you should be on your way to Professor Rose's Lab. It's just down this street here. You can't miss it, the big white building with 2 towers beside it." The woman explained as she pointed down the street.

"Oh...yeah...I will," Justin mumbled quietly.

"You ok?"

"Ye...yeah! Don't worry, I'm fine. I'll go there right now!" Justin said quickly.

"Well, all right. Good luck in all of your adventures!" the lady said happily before turning around and skipping along in the opposite direction.

Justin continued to walk around town until he reached a residential area filled with small houses with white painted walls and brown shingled roofs. This area was nothing like the houses in Eruva. Most of the places people lived in were either penthouse apartments or condos. It all seemed so rural, very different to the concentrated city life Justin was used to back in Minero. Each house had a white wooden fence that surrounded the house with a small blue mailbox at the end of the property. Green grass surrounded the house with a dirt path leading up to the front door. Justin stared in awe as he continued to walk down the neighbourhood.

"I've never seen houses like these before! So tiny, yet it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling just looking at them. Oh what it would have been like to live in this part of the world rather than Eruva!" He said to himself. He then came across a big building with 2 towers between them in the distance.

"There's Professor Rose's Lab." Justin exclaimed. He then began to sulk, recognizing the dilemma he was facing.

"WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME!" Justin shouted to the air.

He was still without a starting Pokémon. He didn't want to delay his journey any longer. Justin then made up his mind and decided he was going to go to the Lab and confess his story.

"Hey, maybe she'll let me off easy..." Justin said. But, that happening was a long shot. If Justin didn't have a Pokémon of his own, he could be sent back home to Eruva. He might have to wait a whole year before the next time.

"Well, let's go." Justin started walking towards the lab when he overhead some yelling.

"_I wonder what that was_," Justin thought to himself. He ran about 2 blocks down the neighbourhood to find a boy around his age with short brown hair, black long sleeve shirt and dark green pants, and what looked to be a Pokémon.

"You're out of here Eevee." The boy stated coldly towards the Pokémon.

"...Ee..." Eevee cried out quietly in disbelief. It looked very tired and in serious pain. It tried to walk over to the boy, but fell over onto the ground.

"Later..." The boy remarked as he turned around to walk away.

"Hey!" yelled Justin as he ran in their direction until he was right beside the Pokémon

"NO WAY! It's an Eevee!" He exclaimed in pure excitement. Justin knelt down to see it closer only to realize that the current situation at hand. He then looked in the direction as the other boy and called out to him.

"Hey! Green shirt!"

The boy stopped and turned around to see who called him.

"What do you want?'" the boy asked bluntly.

"Why are you just walking away? Your Pokémon looks like it's in pretty bad shape. You should bring it to a Pokémon Centre to get it treated!" Justin stated back.

"I'm releasing it. That Eevee is too weak for me to have anymore. It couldn't keep up with my training and lost every single battle it fought in. It's clear that it will never be good enough."

"What? How could you say that...that's so not cool," Justin replied. "Who are you?"

"Not that it matters but my name is Ron, and I'm out of here," the boy said as he started to walk away into the distance.

"_Jerk. __What an awful guy…?"_Justin thought as he examined the injured Pokémon. Cuts and scratches were all over its body. He then took off his jacket and wrapped it around Eevee to give it some comfort before picking it up into his arms.

"Let's get you to Professor Rose's Lab. She'll know what to do."

Justin started running towards the lab as fast as he could. Eevee opened its eyes and looked up at Justin.

"Ee..." it cried weakly.

Justin stopped, looked down at the Pokémon and smiled.

"Don't worry, you're going to be fine. I mean, I'm Justin Riser! I can do almost anything!" He smirked before starting to run again, this time almost losing his balance before recovering inelegantly. The Eevee laughed softly at Justin's comedic relief, and then nestled its head into Justin's arms. Dark clouds started to form in the sky. Within a matter of seconds, rain began to pour down with the sound of thunder rumbling.

"For realz? I better hurry to Professor Rose's lab." Justin said as he began to pick up the pace.

After about 10 minutes of running through the storm, they finally arrived. Justin ran straight through the front entrance all soaking wet.

"Professor! Professor, it's an emergency!" Justin yelled in the building. Moments later a tall man in a white lab coat appeared running the stairs.

"I'm Professor Rose's assistant Cal. Can I help you?" he asked.

"Cal, this Eevee is badly injured, please help it," Justin asked desperately as he showed the man Eevee.

"Oh my. Quick, come with me and we'll bring it to the lab table." Cal said rushing towards the back door. Justin followed him into a room that had many high tech machines and a central white table.

"I'm going to get Professor Rose. You place Eevee on the table and watch it."

"Ok."

"By the way, what's your name?" Cal asked.

"Justin Riser, sir" Justin replied.

"All right, hang tight." Cal said as he rushed through the door. Justin turned around and placed Eevee on the table. The Pokémon was curled up in Justin's jacket, breathing heavily and in a lot of pain.

"You're going to be just fine Eevee," Justin said calmly as he massaged its head.

"_I wonder who that guy Ron is. Abandoning his Pokemon while in this condition, it's just cruel and sad. I've read stories of people committing acts like these, but never thought they'd appear in real life."_He thought to himself.

After a few minutes, a lady with long red hair, a white lab coat, heels and a curvy figure came rushing in. It was Professor Rose.

"Where's the Eevee?" she asked.

Justin pointed towards the table. Professor Rose quickly examined it.

"Hmmm, all right, we're going to go into the emergency room. Young man, I'm going to have to ask you to wait in that room there" she said, pointing towards the back room.

"Sure, just help Eevee get better," Justin said

"I'll do my best." Rose smiled as she put Eevee on a hospital bed-like cart and moved it into the Emergency room.

* * *

"_It's been quite a while already. I hope everything is ok."_Justin thought to himself.

He sat in the same place the entire time Eevee was in the Emergency room. About 10 minutes later, the door opened and Professor Rose walked through.

"Well, what's the situation Professor?" Justin asked worriedly

"Eevee is going to be just fine. We gave it some medicine to help with its recovery. It's going to need a good rest, but it should be back to normal after" assured Professor Rose

"That's awesome! Thank you so much Professor!" Justin exclaimed as he went to give the Professor a high-five. It caught her of guard for a moment, but she then understood and returned it.

"No worries at all! If you want you can go in and see Eevee."

"Sure!"

Professor Rose walked past him while Justin went into of the room and found the Eevee napping on a resting bed. Justin sat on the stool besides the bed and leaned towards Eevee.

"Ee..." Eevee purred quietly, waking up from its sleep.

"Hey Eevee, I hope you're feeling better," Justin said.

"Ee, Ee-vy" Eevee cried softly, letting a small smile out before going back to sleep.

Justin smiled as he was happy that Eevee seemed to be a lot better. He was so exhausted from the commotion that he rested his head onto the bed and fell asleep instantly. The door of the room then opened and Professor Rose popped her head inside.

"Oh, young man? Are you- oh" She cut herself off when she saw Justin sleeping near the Eevee, who was also resting.

"Well, I'll explain it to him when he wakes up." She giggled as she then left the room

* * *

About an hour past by and the weather looked a lot better than before. The sun was shining through the window &amp; into Eevee's recovery room. The rays landed right on Eevee's face, which caused it to wake up. When it opened its eyes, it saw Justin resting his head on the bed. He had slept right by Eevee's side. Eevee got up from under the sheets and walked right up to Justin. It started to nuzzle its face against Justin's.

"Ee-vy." it cried softly and happily.

Justin slowly started to wake up after a soft, furry feeling on his face. He opened his eyes only to see Eevee.

"Eevee! You're ok!" Justin exclaimed. He sat right back up on the chair.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out happily. It then jumped towards Justin's chest. He quickly caught Eevee in his arms as it snuggled against it.

"I'm so glad you're ok! I knew you were going to because of the awesome care of Justin Riser! Oh please, thank me later!" Justin said colorfully as he held Eevee out with his arms. The Eevee then giggled at his modesty and eccentricity, forcing yet another big smile on the boy.

"Why don't we go see Professor Rose for a quick check-up?"

"Vu-Vuee!" Eevee nodded.

They both exited the emergency room and made their way into Professor Rose's lab room. He looked around and saw many machines with screens populated with charts and data. Images of Pokémon with lines pointing towards certain parts of their body also appeared as well. To the left, there were 3 bookshelves of heavy hard cover textbooks on Pokémon anatomy, history and evolution. Justin then found Professor Rose working away on her computer at the back of the room.

"Oh, hello there Justin," Professor Rose said as she saw them walk through the door.

"Hey Professor! Doing some research?"

"You know it. That's the life of a Pokémon professor!"

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out.

"Oh Eevee! Glad to see you're better," Professor Rose exclaimed. She then got up from her chair and walked towards Justin.

"Justin, it was a good thing you brought Eevee here when you did. If you had come any later, it may have been a different story," Professor Rose said.

"Aw thanks! I know I'm pretty awesome like that!...Uh, I mean, I'm just glad Eevee's ok. I did what any other trainer would have done," Justin explained.

"Or, what most of them would do..."

"What was that?" Professor Rose asked

"...Oh, it was nothing." Justin said.

"So, are you a new trainer?"

"Sure am! Justin Riser from Eruva has arrived! Ready to take names and win Pokémon games!" Justin replied with some flare. Professor Rose put on a confused expression, as she was thrown off by his dashing answer.

"Oh...that's...wonderful! Well, shall we get you registered for Minero League?"

"Uh...well..."

"Hold that thought. I just remembered I need to feed Eevee its medicine first!" Professor Rose interrupted.

They both walked to the mini fridge located in the back. Professor Rose bent over and opened the door to get the medicine. She opened the cap, grabbed a spoon and poured some into it.

"Can you place Eevee on the table please?" The professor asked politely.

"Sure," Justin replied. He then set the Pokémon on the table facing Professor Rose while she lifted the spoon towards Eevee's mouth carrying a dark red liquid. Eevee reluctantly ate the medicine and swallowed it. It gave a cringed look at first, but put back on a smile right after.

"There you go. That wasn't so bad right? You're all done!" Professor Rose said as she petted Eevee's head.

"Ee-vuee!" it cried out smiling.

"Well, now that that's settled, shall we register you for the Minero League?" Professor Rose suggested to Justin.

"Actually Professor, there's something I need to talk to you about," Justin said nervously.

"Oh...what is it?"

"Well, you see...I'm from the Eruva region and just arrived here to today to start my journey. Unfortunately, I don't have the necessary requirements to do so.' Justin explained.

"Did you leave your trainer's pass at home? You know you can have it sent here via email," Professor Rose exclaimed.

"No, it's not that..."

"Then what is it? From what I know, Eruva beginning trainers just need their trainer's pass and a Pokémon. And seeing how you have both, I don't understand your concern," Professor Rose said confused.

"But Professor, what you're missing from here is that Eevee isn't my Pokémon." Justin answered.

"Wait? Really?"

"Yeah, you see. I passed my exam and got my trainer's pass. My father went on a journey to the Kanto region to help me obtain a starting Pokémon for this journey. Unfortunately, he bailed and stayed in Kanto without much of an explanation. So, I came here without a Pokémon, hoping to find one before coming to this lab. I'm really sorry."

"I see..."

"I'M REALLY SORRY! I KNOW I SHOULD HAVE A POKÉMON, BUT...BUT..." Justin spazzed out before Professor Rose put her finger on his lips, causing him to stop talking and blush slightly.

"So ...is this a wild Eevee then?" Professor Rose asked.

"...Um...well, I guess technically now it is. There's more to the story you see. When I arrived here, I came across the sight of a trainer releasing Eevee for being weak. It was badly injured so I brought it here."

"That's awful."

"Vuie..." Eevee said sadly as it lower its head down. Professor Rose then leaned down towards Eevee and started to gently ruffle the fur on its head.

"My dear Eevee, you don't have to worry about him anymore." Professor Rose said to Eevee.

Eevee let out a small smile. It then jumped towards Justin, who caught it in his arms. Justin then began to stroke Eevee's fur, comforting the Pokémon.

"Don't worry Eevee, I'm here for you," Justin said with a smile.

Eevee then looked up at him and cracked a big smile. "Ee-vy!"

"You know Justin. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought Eevee was your Pokémon." Professor Rose exclaimed.

Justin looked up at her surprised. "WHAT? You really think so?"

"Well, it certainly looks like Eevee likes you and is comfortable around you. It must be very grateful for what you did for it today."

"...Yeah, I guess you're right! I mean, I was pretty heroic today!"

"Indeed you were. Which is why I'm going to suggest that you take Eevee as your first Pokémon," Professor Rose exclaimed.

"Wow, really!?"

"Why not?! If it's ok with Eevee that is," Professor Rose giggled. Justin then looked down at Eevee in his arms. Eevee looked up as their eyes met.

"What do you say Eevee? You want to come on a journey with me?" Justin asked.

"Ee-vuee, Ee, Ee-vuee!" Eevee cried out happily as it licked Justin's face.

"Well, looks like you just got your first Pokémon Justin." Professor Rose smiled. Justin then raised Eevee up in the air in his hands.

"Wow Eevee, thank you! Thank you so much!" Justin said gratefully. He then embraced Eevee with a hug. "I owe you one pal! I promise, I will treat you with care and respect. From now on, you and I will be partners."

"Ee-vy!"

"Well Justin. Now that you have your first Pokémon, why don't we pick up where we left off and register you for the Minero League," Professor Rose suggested.

"Oh yeah! For sure!" Justin said happily.

They both walked over to her computer and accessed the registration program. She then pressed some buttons which brought her to a lot of different pages.

"Could I see the Trainer's pass you received after your entrance exam?" Professor Rose asked.

"For sure!" Justin exclaimed. He reached into his pocket and grabbed the crumpled up pass. The professor took it from him and entered in the numbers written on it. After about a few minutes, the screen showed that Justin was approved.

"All right, you're all set! Now just come with me for a few more things." Professor Rose exclaimed.

She got up from her chair and led Justin to the other room with a giant machine. There was a table located to the right which had what looked like Pokeballs and a Pokedex. Professor Rose picked up the Pokedex and inserted it into one of the input drives on the machine. After a few beeping sounds she took it out, grabbed the 6 mini Pokeballs from the table and handed it to Justin.

"Here are your Pokedex and Pokeballs. Obviously you know you use these balls to capture Pokémon that you'll encounter. This Pokedex here will help you learn more about Pokémon. This includes their name, description, moves, types, location, etc. It will also serve as you new ID. So don't lose it." Professor Rose explained.

"I gotcha Professor! Thank you!" Justin said. He then placed Eevee on the floor and received the Pokeballs and Pokedex from her. Justin placed the Pokedex and 5 Pokeballs in his Pockets, leaving one in his hand. He pressed the button to expand it.

"Eevee, this is your ball. You're my very first Pokémon ever, so this one is kind of special." Justin said as he knelt down in front of Eevee.

"Vu-Vuee!" Eevee nodded. Justin lightly tapped Eevee on the head with the Pokeball which activated it. It opened up and shot out a red light that engulfed the Pokémon. The light brought Eevee into the Pokeball which then shook 3 times before sitting still. Justin turned the ball around so it faced him.

"Let's go...Eevee." Justin said softly.

* * *

Justin and Professor Rose walked out of the lab through the front doors and stood face to face.

"Now Justin, the first city you should go to is Amethyst City. It's just north of here along Route 401. There's a gym there that I recommend you challenge to earn your first badge." Professor Rose explained.

"Sounds good Professor," Justin said. Just then, he felt and heard a Pokeball latched onto his belt open. He looked down and out came Eevee onto the ground.

"Eevee, how come you came out of your Pokeball?" Justin asked it.

"Ee-vuee, Ee!" Eevee cried out as it jumped in the air and onto Justin's shoulder.

"Oh, I see. You wanted to hang out here with me, didn't you?"

"Vu-Vy!"

"Well, I'm a pretty cool guy to be around, so I totes understand!"

Professor Rose and Eevee looked up at each other, and giggled slightly.

"You'll find that Pokémon have all sorts of different personalities." Professor Rose exclaimed.

"I'll keep that in mind Professor. Anyway, I should get going. Thank you so much for all of your help before!" Justin said as he reached for hand and continuously bowed to her.

"_My...this boy sure is full of energy. I'm going to remember this one. He'll be just fine," _she thought to herself.

"Heh...You're most welcome Justin. You take care and best of luck on your journey. Be sure to call in to update me on your progress when you have time."

"I will! Goodbye Professor!"

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out saying goodbye as well. Justin then turned around and started walking down the road with Eevee comfortably resting on his shoulder. They walked up out of the city and reached the top of a hill. Up ahead was a view of a green landscape with a dirt path leading into the distance. There wasn't a cloud in the sky; the sun shined down giving warmth and life to Minero.

"This is it. My journey starts now. Man I am so stoked!" Justin exclaimed happily.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out happily. Justin looked at Eevee and placed his hand on the side of its face. The Pokémon nuzzled against it briefly.

"Let's go partner!" Justin exclaimed. He then started to run down the hill, ready to begin his journey in the world of Pokémon.


	3. Chapter 3 - Friend in Need

_**A/N: Hello again people. Chapter 3 is officially up. Hopefully the story so far is to your guy's liking (those of you who are following along). I'm having a blast writing this. Remember to review if you have something to say!**_

_**Edit: July 2015**_

**Chapter 3 – Friends in Need**

"Go Pokeball!" Justin yelled out as he threw one of his Pokeballs at a wild Starly standing on the grass field. He was roughly about 15 feet away from the bird Pokemon with Eevee standing right next to him. The Pokeball opened up, surrounded the bird Pokemon in a red light and transferred it into the ball.

"Yes! I got it!"

The Pokeball wiggled back and forth a few times before opening back up and releasing the Pokemon.

"Wait what? I caught it though!" exclaimed a surprised Justin. The Starly proceeded to using gust and knocking Justin and Eevee backwards onto the ground. It shortly flew back up into the sky. Justin recovered and sat back up disgruntled.

"Man...What did I do wrong?" Justin whined. Eevee then poked his leg with its paw.

"Ee, Ee-vy! Vu-Vy," Eevee cried out while making certain attacking motions.

"Oh right...I got too excited in the moment, I forgot to battle it first. My bad!" Justin said as he chuckled softly. Eevee just sighed in disappointment at its trainer's forgetfulness.

* * *

Justin stopped at a nearby rock to sit down and rest from walking while Eevee ran towards the flowers to smell them. The pleasant breeze made the grass sway back and forward with the sun shining brightly down on them. Both of them had been travelling on Route 401 for about an hour now. Justin sat back and enjoyed the breeze blow through his hair, swaying it back and forth. Everything up to this point has been nothing short of open green grass fields and exquisite rock formations lying on the sides of the dirt path every few miles.

"_This is nothing like the Eruva region. Everything is so...open and scenic_. _There certainly are a lot of rocks here too_." He thought to himself.

He observed the open fields in awe. Where he lived for most of his life was the heavily populated city area surrounded by tall buildings and establishments. Justin didn't get to go out much due to the tight budgets of his parents, but was experiencing the rural areas now. Amethyst City was still about a few hours away, and the soreness of Justin's feet needed to be tended to with some rest. Eevee returned back and jumped on his lap.

"Well, we still got a ways to go before Amethyst City. I say we keep going until we reach the Pokemon Centre that's located around here. What do you say Eevee?" Justin asked, petting Eevee's head.

"Ee-vuie!" The Pokemon nodded in agreement. Eevee's fur shined brightly from the sunlight, showing that its health was back to normal. The injuries it had from its previous trainer seemed to have healed too.

"Man, I can't believe I'm actually on a Pokemon journey now. This is amazing!"

He got up from the rock and started to walk down the dirt path with Eevee by his side. The Pokémon that usually appeared in this area, according to the Pokedex, were Pidgey, Rattata, Bidoof, Sentret and Starly. But since that first Starly a while back, there hasn't been anymore.

"_We should have seen more Pokemon by now,"_ Justin thought in his head. All of a sudden though, they saw a bush shaking. After awhile, a small orange-red chick-like creature came out with a berry in its mouth.

"No way, I think that's a Torchic!" Justin exclaimed. He quickly grabbed out his Pokedex to find out more about it.

"_**Torchic, the chick Pokémon. Torchic has a place inside its body that carries a small flame, making its body very warm."**_The pokedex stated.

"What's a Torchic doing out here? Whatever, this is so cool! I'm going to catch it!" Justin said all fired up. "Now, I got to actually remember this time...we have to battle a Pokemon first and weaken it before I catch it. So let's go Eevee!"

"Vuie, Ee-vy!" Eevee jumped in front of Justin in a battle stance facing towards Torchic. Torchic ate the berry and got into a battle stance too. The battle was set, but just when Justin was about to call out the first attack, he heard a scream. This made him lose the focus of battling.

"Whoa, what was that?" Justin asked himself. Eevee looked around as well. After looking back at Torchic and thinking hard about the situation, Justin knew what he had to do.

"C'mon Eevee, someone might be in trouble."

Eevee nodded and the 2 were off and away. Torchic stood back up with a confused look on its face.

"Sorry Torchic. Maybe next time!"

"Tor-chic," it chirped, its head cocked slightly to the left.

* * *

About a few minutes away, Justin came across a girl kneeling towards what looked like an injured Pokémon on the side of the dirt path. She had a long blonde hair tied up while wearing a green and white sleeveless shirt and brown pants.

"Oh no…what should I do." The girl said worriedly. Justin and Eevee ran towards her as they surrounded the pokemon.

"What happened?" Justin asked.

"Oh…my Squirtle just suddenly became very ill. I don't know how or why. Sure Squirtle acted a bit strange the last couple of days, but about 5 minutes ago it just collapsed and seems to have this very high fever. I don't know what to do..."

"Don't you worry; Eevee and I will do our best to help!" Justin replied.

"Ee-vuie!"

The girl beamed of happiness. "You will? I…thank you so much!"

"Ok, I guess the first thing we should do is try to cool down Squirtle. Eevee, grab the water bottle from my bag."

The Pokemon scurried towards Justin's bag, grabbed the cool water bottle and ran back to Justin to give it to him.

"Thanks pal," Just said. He then grabbed some long grass, sprinkled some water onto it and placed it on top of Squirtle's head. "Keep this on its head," Justin explained as the girl followed his instructions.

"Ok, next thing is we should find a Pokemon Centre. It just so happens that there's one just down the path here, so let's go!" Justin exclaimed.

Everyone started running down the path. Eevee led the way while the girl ran while holding the cool wet leaves against Squirtle's head. They kept going until the girl tripped over a big rock and began to fall. Justin caught her at the last second, holding onto her waist with his hands.

"Whoa, that was a close one." Justin said with a smile.

"Yeah...sorry about that." the girl replied, blushing a little.

The 2 continued to run towards the Pokemon Centre. Watching them from behind though was a familiar Pokemon.

Justin and the girl finally reached the Pokemon Centre and ran straight through the clear automated slide doors. It was a smaller Pokemon Centre then the one just saw in Mineral town, but seemed to still have all the necessary parts to it. The pink and red interior gave the room a pretty warm atmosphere, fitting for a centre for Pokemon health. They quickly made their way to the front desk and in front of Nurse Joy, who was wearing a pink nurse dress with a white headband that had a red plus on it.

"Nurse Joy! Please help us!" She called out.

"Oh my, what seems to be the problem?" asked a concerned Nurse Joy

"My Squirtle has a very high fever after collapsing to the ground a while ago. I don't know how or why it got it. It was fine yesterday, but...please, could you help?"

"Don't you worry; we'll bring it to the emergency room now. Quick Chansey, bring the stretcher here."

"Chansey!" A pink oval shaped Pokemon came around the corner with a stretcher. It then took the Squirtle from the girl's arms and gently placed it on the stretcher.

"All right Chansey, let's get to work," said Nurse Joy. "You two can wait in the green room while we operate. Don't worry, we'll do our best with Squirtle" Nurse Joy said. After that, they went straight through the door down the hall

"Well, all we can do now is wait," Justin remarked.

"_Yeah...,_" the girl thought.

"Come on, let's sit down."

The 2 made their way towards the benches along the wall. Justin observed her even more. She was shorter than him, but smelled really nice. Her long blonde hair really complimented what she wore and looked like. This girl clearly knew how to make herself look good. He sat on the first seat with Eevee curled up on his lap. The girl sat with her head looking down, obviously concerned for her Squirtle. Justin knew he needed to ease her concerns. He opened his backpack and grabbed something.

"...so, umm, what's your name?" Justin asked out on a whim.

"Oh...Aly. Aly Eatos. And yours?" The girl responded shyly.

"Justin Riser is the name! I'm from Revo Town of the Eruva Region!" He announced happily

"Oh! The Eruva Region. I've heard of that place. Supposedly there's almost no Pokemon there."

"Actually, there are NO Pokemon living there. It's not an ideal place for Pokémon to live there with it being very industrialized and compact."

"Oh wow, that's really something." She remarked as she bit into her chocolate bar.

"Yeah, you kind of miss out on Pokemon as a kid though. Everything is about school there."

"Sounds boring."

"You think? Instead of Pokemon Masters, We train to become Brainiac Masters" Justin said laughing.

"Well, it's not that bad. I mean, you'd be with all your brainiac friends too." Aly said in a playful voice.

"Oh haha, very funny..."

Aly started to laugh. Her spirits seemed to have lifted a bit.

"_Well, at least she's a little more at ease now."_Justin thought to himself.

"Hey, I just want to say thanks for helping me back there. I wouldn't have known what to do. And thanks for waiting here with me too. I owe you one." Aly stated.

"Aw, no worries girl! I got yo back!... I mean, I'm glad I was there to help." Justin smiled while scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Aly continued to giggle at Justin's tone.

"That's a cute Eevee you got there," she remarked.

"Oh yeah, Eevee's great." Justin said as he began to pet Eevee's head.

"Umm, may I hold it?"

"Eevee?" Justin asked Eevee.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee smiled as it jumped from Justin's lap towards Aly. She caught the Pokemon in her arms and embraced it, stroking its tail too.

"Seems Eevee likes you." Justin remarked. Just then, both Aly and Justin heard the front door to the centre open. As they leaned over to look, the Torchic from before waddled its way to Justin.

"Oh, it's you."

"You've met this Pokemon before?" Aly asked.

"Mhm. Me and Eevee ran into this Torchic before coming across you guys. Wanted to battle and catch it, but decided to go check what the early commotion was, which turned out to be you. Hey Torchic, you hungry? I have some food you can have."

Torchic just gave a blank stare at the chocolate, then at Justin, and then at the chocolate again. Eevee then jumped down from Aly's arms towards Torchic.

"Ee-vy, Ee, Ee-vy, Eev-uie" Eevee said to Torchic, assuring it was safe. Torchic looked back at Justin and ate the Pokemon food from his hand.

"Tor-chic, chic!" cried happily, enjoying the food.

"Glad you liked it, you must be very hungry," Justin smiled.

"Awww, it's so cute," Aly squealed.

"It sure is. Hey Torchic, wanna wait with us while Aly's Squirtle gets better?"

The fire chick Pokémon nodded its head and smiled. It softly pecked Eevee and began to run away, which Eevee then chased after it like in a game of tag. Aly and Justin looked on and smiled. 15 minutes later, the bell above the emergency room doors rang, and Nurse Joy came out of the room. Aly and Justin rushed towards her.

"Squirtle's gonna be just fine. All it needs is good rest," explained Nurse Joy. She then directed their attention to Squirtle, who was sleeping in one of the stretchers.

"Thank you so much Nurse Joy" Aly exclaimed. She ran towards to stretcher that carried Squirtle. Justin, Eevee and Torchic tagged along. The Pokemon jumped onto the stretcher bed beside Squirtle.

"I'm glad to hear Squirtle will be better." Justin told Aly.

"Yea, me too...I was really worried."

"Why don't you guys go to the dinner hall and get something to eat while Squirtle rests here?" Nurse Joy suggested. Justin and Aly looked at each other

"What do you say? Let's go get something better to eat." Justin smiled.

"Ok, sure!" Aly replied happily.

* * *

The dining hall was filled with different people, presumably fellow Pokemon Trainers. Justin and Aly were both sitting down at a table bench across from each other eating the served food. Eevee and Torchic sat on the far side of the tables eating Pokemon food.

"_Hmmm, this definitely isn't like Mom's cooking, but I guess it'll do." _Justin thought to himself, taking a bite of his sandwich. The dining hall was pretty occupied with other trainers and their Pokemon eating food. Justin was amazed about the entire atmosphere of the Pokemon Centre. Everyone and everything here was about Pokemon, something he has a great passion for. He looked up, and saw Aly munching away at hers.

"So Aly, where are you from?" Justin asked.

"I'm from Pallet Town in the Kanto Region. It's a pretty small town." Aly replied

"Oh, I know all about the Kanto Region, that's one of regions I learned about in a book I read. So, are you here to partake in the Minero League? I assume you were in the Kanto one as well right?"

"Not quite. Actually, I ended up here by accident," Aly smiled embarrassingly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's a long story..." Aly said shyly. "You see, my 10th birthday came around and I was ready to set out on my Pokemon journey. But, something kept me from going. It took me 5 years to get through it before I was ready to journey again. Even now though...it still bugs me..."

"What happened?" Justin asked curiously.

"Actually, I'd rather not say...it's personal and I get uncomfortable talking about it." Aly said nervously.

"Oh...I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I shouldn't bring things up if I'm not comfortable saying it. Anyways, I finally recovered and continued on to start my Pokemon journey. I went to Professor Oak's Laboratory to pick my Pokemon, which happened to be Squirtle."

"Nice! That's a nice selection by you!" Justin said.

"Thank you! So, our goal was...um, like yours, to take on the Pokemon League challenge by winning the eight badges across Kanto. Unfortunately, we couldn't even win one gym badge. We tried the Pewter City, Cerulean City and Vermillion City Gym, but nothing. I couldn't even capture one Pokémon. It...It felt like I wasn't meant to be a Pokémon trainer." Aly looked down at her food and sulked.

"It was at the Vermillion City Pier where we saw a Pokémon Trainer Outlook course held in the Johto Region. I felt I needed to go there in order to re-learn the basic, or find a new goal for myself that would compensate my situation. So I bought our tickets and was ready to go. But...we accidently went on the wrong boat. We took the boat going to the Minero Region instead of Johto." She said grabbing the back of her head, smiling all embarrassed.

"Uhhhhh..." Justin's jaw dropped down.

"Yeah...whoops. Well, we got off at Mineral Town and wanted to take the ferry back to Kanto. But, the ferry only travels every 3 months between Kanto and Minero. Squirtle and I then decided that this is a good opportunity to start over and do better than what we did in Kanto. Our travels led us on Route 401 to Amethyst City, but then Squirtle got very sick long the way. Then, that's where you and Eevee came in, and the rest is history."

"...Wow, ok, that's...interesting," Justin said.

"Yeah, I can be very clumsy." Aly said. The two trainers started to laugh.

"Anyways, tell me more about you. Like how did you meet Eevee? How your journey is going so far? What do you plan on doing?"

For the next hour or so, Justin and Aly continued to talk and get to know each other more and more.

* * *

The trainers and their Pokemon finished eating their dinner with filled stomachs and began to walk out of the dining hall.

"Let's go check back up on Squirtle to see how it's doing." Justin said.

"Yeah, for sure!" Aly replied. Just as they walked out of the hall, some sirens went off. Justin and Aly looked at each other confused.

"What? Sirens?"

"Wonder what this is about?"

"I think there's an emergency. We should definitely see Nurse Joy about this. C'mon Eevee! Torchic!" Justin said as he and the Pokémon began to run down the hall.

"What? Justin, wait!" Aly called out as she tried to catch up to him.


	4. Chapter 4 - A First of Things to Come

**_A/N: Hello there again. It makes me happy to see people checking out my story. As always, review if you have some input. Here is Chapter 4._**

_**Edit: July 2015**_

**Chapter 4 – A First for Everything**

Justin, Aly, Eevee and Torchic ran down the halls of the Pokémon Centre in order to find Nurse Joy. The sirens kept on ringing, meaning that the problem still loomed. After a few minutes of searching through various hallways and rooms, they found Nurse Joy running out of the treatment room.

"Nurse Joy, what's going on?" Justin asked.

"It seems someone has broken into the study lab in this centre. I must go there now!" Nurse Joy explained.

"We'll come with you!"

"We don't know what's there. Maybe we shouldn't..." Aly said timidly.

"Nahh, we'll be fine!" Justin remarked bravely.

"It's going to be dangerous...Are you sure?"

"Positive. We have to help. People and/or Pokémon might be in danger. Let's go Nurse Joy!"

"Hmm...All right, let's go." Nurse Joy said.

They ran down the hall toward the lab area. Once they arrived there through the door, there were 2 people right next to the central computer. They were 2 men in brown robes with black capes and wearing sunglasses.

"Who are you guys?!" Nurse Joy asked.

"That's none of your business. Just move a long," one of the men said.

"No, this is a restricted area!"

"Heh, fine. I guess we'll have to do this the hard way. Sneasal, Icy Wind!" the shady character said throwing a Pokeball at the group's direction. The Pokeball landed right in front of them and opened, releasing a small dark Pokémon with 2 vicious white claws.

"Snea-sal!" it screeched, shooting out a cold, icy breeze from its mouth towards the group. Justin, Aly and Nurse Joy quickly moved out of the way and back out into the hallway. The icy breeze went straight towards the hallway wall and covered it in a blanket of ice. Sneasal then followed them out the door and faced them with a cunning smile.

"Oh no! What are we going to do?!" Aly cried out.

"Don't worry. I'll help in stopping these crooks." Justin said.

"Are you sure you can do it? They seem very strong!"

"Of course we can! With Eevee by my side, we can do anything. Right pal?"

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out.

"Just be careful…"Aly said softly.

"Will do! All right! This is our first battle ever! So let's make it count! Eevee, use tackle!" Justin commanded. Eevee started to charge towards Sneasal and hit it right on. Sneasal was sent flying back towards to the far wall. But, just before hitting the wall, Sneasal landed right back onto its feet and made a smirk.

"What? That was a direct hit though," Justin said baffled. Sneasal then charged towards Eevee with its claws glowing.

"Eevee, dodge it!" Justin yelled. Just before Sneasal swiped its claws, Eevee jumped to the side, evading the slash attack.

"Now, tackle again!"

Eevee landed from the dodge and charged at Sneasal once again, hitting it from the side and into the air before landing hard on the ground.

"Way to go!" Aly cheered.

"Heh, piece of cake! I told you nothing can stop us!" Justin exclaimed as he and Eevee began to celebrate as if the battle was over. But suddenly, Eevee was hit by a charging Sneasal and slammed against the wall pretty hard.

"Eevee!" Justin shouted out worriedly.

"A battle isn't won that easily! You gotta keep focus on your opponent at all times!" Nurse Joy exclaimed. Justin looked back at Eevee who got up gingerly.

"Eevee! Use another tackle attack!" Justin commanded. Eevee started to charge right at Sneasal with some speed. The dark type Pokémon however read Eevee's move and dodged it easily. It then countered by shooting an icy wind attack from its mouth. Sneasal blew Eevee backwards onto the ground with a little bit of a chill. Sneasal's claw began to light up again, and then charged straight at an already down Eevee. Eevee, still down, closed its eyes and looked away.

"Eevee, NO!" Just then, Torchic used its ember attack to shoot little balls of fire from its mouth directly at Sneasal. It hit the charging Pokémon straight on, sending it towards the back wall. Torchic then stood in front of Eevee as if it was protecting Eevee.

"Ee-Eevy," Eevee cried to Torchic. Torchic looked back and nodded. It was a super effective attack against an ice type Pokémon. It tried to get up, but fell back down.

"All right!" Justin rejoiced with Eevee and Torchic. "Torchic, thanks for saving Eevee there. I guess I got a lot to learn about battling still. Both of you guys were awesome though!"

Both Pokémon gave a cry of happiness.

"That was very good Justin!" Aly said, running up towards Justin.

"Yes, agreed. Now let's go stop those crooks." Nurse Joy said.

"Right" answered Justin and Aly. As soon as the group started to run back towards the lab area, the 2 suspicious men were just about to exit the room. They looked down the other side of the hallway to find their fallen Pokémon.

"Sneasal Return!" The first man said, holding out a Pokeball. A red light came out of the middle and hit Sneasal, returning it to the Pokeball. "Hmm, you kids are more of a nuisance then I thought. No matter, Team Immortal will still achieve its goal!"

"Team Immortal?" Aly questioned. "What's that?"

"What are you thinking saying our name?" The other man barked out.

"Whoops. Slip of the tongue I guess. Whatever, they'll find out soon enough!" said the first man. "It's time for us to split. Farewell!"

Black Smoke suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blocking everyone's sight and causing Justin, Aly and Nurse Joy to cover their noses and mouths. As the smoke cleared, both intruders were gone.

"What happened?" asked Aly

"They just vanished!" Justin remarked. Nurse Joy went into the lab area to scout around.

"Well, everything seems normal and nothing was broken. So that's good. But, I wonder what they did then?" Nurse Joy wondered.

"Why? What's so special about this Pokémon Centre?" Aly asked.

"This Pokémon Centre contains a research facility on the origins of the Minero Region. The main researcher here spends almost all of his time conducting further research. He is on his vacation now and returns in about a week. It won't be fun to tell him we had some intruders."

"Nurse Joy, I'm sorry we couldn't stop them," Justin apologized sincerely, bowing towards the nurse.

"Oh, it's all right. Thank you for helping out! But still, I can't help but wonder. Who is this Team Immortal and what do they hope to accomplish?" Nurse Joy responded. "Well, it's getting late now; you two should make your way to the bedroom halls."

Eevee and Torchic began to yawn, which in turn made Justin and Aly yawn as well. They looked at the clock which signalled 10:30pm.

"C'mon Aly, let's go together," Justin smiled.

* * *

"Man, what a day..." Justin said while yawning. He walked with Aly, Eevee, Torchic and Squirtle, who was picked up from the recovery room and healthy again, in the bedroom hall. Both their rooms were right across from each other. "Well, this looks like the rooms we'll be sleeping in tonight."

"Looks like this is our room Squirtle," Aly said, opening the door.

"Squirtle, Squirt!" Squirtle said, beaming at the big bed.

"I guess this one is ours Eevee," Justin said looking down at Eevee.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried happily.

"Hey Torchic, You're welcome to stay in my room tonight if you want?" Justin asked Torchic.

"Tor. Chic." Torchic said, sounding confused. Eevee ran towards Torchic, communicating to it in a friendly tone. Torchic then gave its typical blank look at Justin, and then looked back at Eevee. After slowly processing what had just occurred, it cracked a smile.

"Torchic!" it cried happily, nodding its head.

"Well, have a good night Aly!" Justin said as him, Eevee and Torchic entered their room.

"You too! Good Night Justin!" Aly said, as Squirtle and she walked through their door.

* * *

Morning arrived. Aly woke up and looked at the clock that read 8:00am. She sat up on her bed and let out a small yawn. Squirtle woke up from Aly's movements on the bed and began to rub its eyes.

"Good morning Squirtle." Aly smiled.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out happily, but groggily as well.

Aly stood up from her bed and began getting ready for the day. She changed out of her sleep wear, put on her regular travel clothes and packed her bag. Squirtle helped her remember her Pokeballs and Pokedex that were on the morning dresser. Once everything was packed, they both walked out the door where Aly approached Justin's door.

"Hey Justin, are you up yet?" Aly asked while knocking softly. No one answered though.

"_Hmm, maybe he's still sleeping. Well, I'm going to go get some fresh air," _Aly thought to herself. "All right Squirtle, it's time to go."

"Squirtle!" Squirtle nodded. Aly raised its Pokeball towards it and the red light beam shot out at Squirtle, returning it into the Pokeball. She began to make her way towards the front doors. It looked like yet another nice day with the sun shining brightly through the front clear doors. There were no people in the main lobby of the Pokémon Centre other than Nurse Joy standing at the front desk.

"Good morning!" Nurse Joy said happily.

"Good Morning to you too, Nurse Joy!" Aly replied as she made her way to the exit. Once she got outside, Aly saw Justin, Eevee and Torchic all around a nearby tree.

"All right Eevee, use Tackle at that target!" Justin called out.

"Ee-Vee!" Eevee cried, charging at target that was made of branches and leaves. Eevee ran and tackled through it. The target then exploded with leaves going everywhere.

"Hey, that was amazing Eevee!" Justin said happily.

"Ee-vy!' Eevee cried joyfully and jumped into Justin's arms. Torchic jumped for joy as well. Eevee then went down towards Torchic and they both started to do a happy dance.

"Good Morning Justin!" Aly called out. Justin turned around to see who the voice was.

"Oh, hey Aly! Have a good sleep?"

"Yep, I feel very refreshed now." Aly said smiling before putting on a straight face.

"Hey listen. I just wanted to say sorry for not helping you out yesterday against Team Immortal. I was too scared and didn't really do anything to help you."

"It's ok Aly. Squirtle was recovering so you couldn't have done anything. Everything worked out in the end so don't worry about it!" Justin remarked while giving a sincere smile.

"I guess you're right. So, you're travelling on ahead today right?"

"Yeah, we're heading north straight towards Amethyst City. Supposedly there's a gym located there." Justin explained. "How about you?"

"Umm, I'm not sure what I'm going to do to be honest...I ended up here by accident so, no plan whatsoever."

Justin then started to sweat a bit as he prepared his next question. "Well...if you want... perhaps you...maybe want to join me on my journey?"

"Wait...really?"

"Yeah, for sure! It'll be fun. We'll see lots of new Pokémon, visit tons of places and meet a bunch of people along the way. I think it's better to travel with buddies anyway! It makes the adventure more fun when you share experiences with friends! So, what do you say?!" He eagerly explained. Justin looked at the girl more carefully, seeing how his enthusiastic request took Aly by surprise.

"_Crap…I totally just sounded like a desperate idiot with no friends…"_

"Oh..." Aly said, still surprised.

"Well, it's totally up to you...I mean...if you've got somewhere else to be, I understand." Justin stuttered nervously.

"No, I'd love to come with you!" Aly smiled.

"For real?!"

"I mean, I think I would get pretty lost by myself. But, travelling together may help me become a stronger person and a proper trainer."

"Really?"

"Yeah! The way you helped me out when Squirtle wasn't feeling well. And that time you battled Team Immortal. You're someone who I can look up too and one day, I can hopefully be like you. So, thank you for asking and I'd be glad to join!" Aly exclaimed happily.

"_That's really nice of her to say..." _Justin thought to himself as he looked on at the cheerful girl. He then looked down at Eevee. "What do you say Eevee? Mind if Aly and Squirtle come travelling with us?"

"Vu-Vy!" Eevee cried out happily.

"It's settled. Welcome to the group Aly!"

"That's great! I hope we become good friends!" Aly said back. "Hey, what about Torchic?" She asked Justin.

They both looked at Torchic, who had its confused look, angling its head to the right. Justin walked towards it and kneeled down.

"Torchic, what would you say to coming with us?" Justin asked, extending out his hand towards it.

"Tor?" Torchic cried in an unsure tone.

"It's up to you buddy. I've seen what you can do when we fought against those Team whatever creeps. Plus, you and Eevee seemed to have become good friends. I think you'll be a great addition to the team." Justin said.

Torchic looked at Justin and then looked at Eevee. Eevee gave it a cute smile, nodding as well. Torchic looked back at Justin, and then smiled. It then walked towards Justin's hand, nuzzling it.

"Torchic!" it cried happily.

"All right!" Justin jumped for joy. As soon as he pulled out a Pokeball, Torchic ran a few meters away from him, and then faced him with a serious look.

"I think Torchic wants to have a battle." Aly remarked.

Justin looked on, and then smiled. "All right, if it's a battle you want, I'll give you one. Go Eevee!"

"Ee-vy!" Eevee jumped in front of Justin, preparing to battle with Torchic.

"We're not going to hold back! I'm going to catch my first Pokémon! I'm not going to screw up this time. Eevee, use tackle!" Justin called out. Eevee started to charge towards Torchic. Torchic charged at Eevee too. Both Pokémon gained speed and collided with each other. They hit hard and bounced backwards towards where they started.

"Eevee, use tackle again!" Justin commanded.

Eevee started charging towards Torchic again, but Torchic stood still this time. Just before Eevee was going to hit it, Torchic jumped out of the way, causing Eevee to run head first into a tree.

"No, Eevee!" Justin shouted out concerned.

Eevee got up, but was a little dazed from the last attack. Torchic landed on the ground and then used an ember attack that shot balls of fire at Eevee. Ember hit Eevee successfully, which caused the normal type Pokémon to be sent in the air into a tree, slamming hard into it. Eevee slowly got up, only to see Torchic charging right at it.

"Eevee! Quick, use sand attack!" Justin called. Eevee quickly raised its head and whipped its paw from left to right on the ground. Sand and dirt from the ground followed and shot towards Torchic. It hit dead on and Torchic was knocked off its feet. Its vision became impaired from the sand, lowering its accuracy.

"Now's our chance, Eevee, finish this up with Tackle!" Justin commanded pointing at Torchic.

Eevee then started to run full steam ahead towards Torchic, finally colliding with it and sending Torchic flying. It slammed into a tree, where it slid down the trunk and laid there dazed.

"This is it! Go, Pokeball!" Justin yelled as he threw the red &amp; white ball right at Torchic. The ball landed right on Torchic's head, bouncing in the air and opening up. A red beam of light shot out of the ball and engulfed Torchic, who disappeared right into the Pokeball. The ball rocked back and forth as Justin, Eevee and Aly looked on.

"_C'mon..._" Justin said in his head, determined to catch his first Pokémon. The ball continued to rock back and forth until finally, it stopped. Justin felt a sense of joy and happiness rush in him. He walked towards the Pokeball and looked at it. After about 5 seconds, he jumped for joy raising the Pokeball in the air.

"ALL RIGHT! I CAUGHT A TORCHIC! MY VERY FIRST POKEMON CAUGHT!" Justin shouted to the sky.

"EE-VUIE!" Eevee cried happily jumping up and down.

"You were great Eevee, thanks for helping me pal," Justin said to Eevee, kneeling down towards it and stroking the fur on its head. This caused Eevee to smile and purr. Aly walked towards Justin then.

"Congratulations Justin!" Aly said while she walked up to him.

"Thanks Aly! It sure feels good to catch the first one. I hope to catch many more and make even more friends!" He began to do a celebration dance with odd movements, which made Aly stare in disbelief.

"Uhhh...I'm not gonna ask." Aly said to Eevee.

* * *

Justin, Eevee (who was on his shoulder) and Aly stood outside the Pokémon Centre right with Nurse Joy right across from them.

"Well, we're off! Thanks for everything Nurse Joy," Justin said.

"Safe travels guys. Good luck with your upcoming gym battle in Amethyst City Justin. And Aly, I hope you find the trainer inside you. I know you'll be fine." Nurse Joy said smiling.

"Thanks Nurse Joy, I hope so too." Aly said.

"I have something for you guys," Nurse Joy said to them, while grabbing something from her pocket. Out came a small microchip. "This is a file of the Minero map. You can upload it onto your Poke-Tab."

Justin and Aly both looked at each other in confusion.

"Oh...do you guys not have a Poke-Tab?"

"I guess not. Justin is from the Eruva region, which is like Anti-Pokémon. So I assume he doesn't have one yet. As for me, I came from Kanto where we don't have those in that region yet." Aly explained.

"No worries. I'll just give you a print out of the Minero Region Map. I'll be right back," Nurse Joy said, quickly running into the centre. After 10 seconds she came back with a rolled up piece of parchment.

"Thanks!" Aly said, taking the map from Nurse Joy.

""By the way, what is a Poke-Tab? And do you know where we could get one of these Poke-Tabs?" Justin asked curiously.

"Poke-Tab's are smart tablets that perform many different features that benefit Pokémon Trainers. It can show you a map of a region with GPS locator, input contacts of other trainer's you meet on your journey, and much more. It just depends on the different chips you get and download onto your tablet." Nurse Joy explained

"Wow, that's great! Aly, we should try to get one when we're there," Justin said to Aly.

"For sure!" Aly replied.

"Safe travels with your journey you two!" Nurse Joy told them.

"We will!" they both responded. After that, Justin and Aly began to walk towards Route 401, looking back and waving at Nurse Joy until they saw her no more. They continued to walk along the dirt path laid out.

"I'm really excited for this journey! Aren't you too?" Aly asked

"Of course! No matter what comes out way, I'll be ready to face it!" Justin exclaimed as they continued to walk down the dirt path towards Amethyst City.


	5. Chapter 5 - New Rivals

**Chapter 5 – New Rivals**

"All right Eevee, use your quick attack!" Justin commanded.

"Ee-vee!" Eevee cried out. It then charged right towards the opponent Zigzagoon at a very fast speed. Eevee made contact with the Zigzagoon, which caused it to fly backwards, land on its side and unable to battle anymore.

"Oh no! Zigzagoon!" the boy trainer called out. He then rushed towards his Pokemon and picked it up in its arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked his defeated Pokémon.

"Zig-zag-goon," Zigzagoon cried out weakly.

"Hey, is Zigzagoon all right?" Justin asked as he and Eevee walked over.

"Yeah, I think so. A good rest and it should be back to normal." The boy replied as he stood back up. "Hey, you're a strong trainer. I hope we battle again." He lifted his hand and offered a handshake.

"Yeah! Same!" Justin remarked back, as he raised his hand and shook the boy's hand back. Aly and Squirtle were sitting on a rock, watching the sportsmanship shown by both trainers.

"Wow, Justin's gotten a lot better, eh Squirtle?" Aly remarked "Ever since that incident back at the Pokemon Centre, he's been looking for more battles...and winning them. That's like his 3rd win in a row!"

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out happily.

"Wish I could do that…" She muttered quietly under her breath. Justin and Eevee then walked over to them 2 after saying goodbye to the other trainer.

"Lunch now?" Justin asked.

"Oh yes!" Aly said happily.

* * *

"All right, it seems like we still have a ways to go to get to Amethyst City. We just gotta continue down this road, where we'll pass Amethyst Lake too." Justin said biting on a sandwich while looking at the map Nurse Joy gave them.

"It's a beautiful place! My Uncle used to bring me there often when I visited Minero as a kid," Aly said.

"Cool, we'll stop by there once we approach it."

The 2 of them had been travelling on Route 401 for about 2 hours now and were eating food they brought from the Pokémon Centre. The Pokémon were out to get some fresh air and eat as well. The landscape had stayed relatively the same with grassy fields throughout and occasional big rocks all over the place. The dirt path seemed to continue towards a small forest area because of the sea of trees in the distance. Justin and Aly sat on the ground with a blanket tarp beneath them. Eevee, sitting on a small rock next to Justin, was munching away at its food. Squirtle sat right on Aly's lap, with Aly feeding it food piece by piece. Torchic, the newly caught Pokémon was eating its food slowly while staring up at the sky from time to time.

"Boy, Torchic sure is...interesting," Justin said to Aly.

"Well, all Pokémon have different personalities." Aly explained.

"That's true...well, I think Torchic is cool just the way it is! Right Torchic?!"

Justin looked over at Torchic for a response, but found it lying on the ground with its eyes closed and enjoying the fresh air. Aly and Eevee giggled a bit.

"...well, it can't be helped," Justin smiled. "Ok, I think we should clean up and head out now."

"Ok, All right Squirtle, return!" Aly said, returning Squirtle to its Pokeball.

"Torchic, time to get back in your Pokeball all right?" Justin said in an asking manner.

Torchic had no response as it lay peacefully on the grass. It had fallen asleep.

"...Oh-kay. Torchic return!" Justin called out, returning Torchic to its Pokeball. Justin and Aly cleaned up their stuff and got back on the road.

It was a very nice, sunny day with a pleasant breeze passing by every now and then. Justin had taken off his jacket to avoid sweating. Eevee continued to rest on Justin's shoulders during the journey instead of being in its Pokeball. The landscape suddenly changed as now the dirt path started to curve and go over occasional hills. The walk wasn't as bad as Justin imagined it. With having friends like Aly and Eevee out with him, it made it more enjoyable. Although, he did notice that they were walking at a slower pace than usual, at the request of Aly.

"So Justin, could you tell me more about the Eruva Region?" Aly asked.

"Sure!" Justin said happily. "Well, you see this natural view and open field? There's hardly any of that where I live. It's mostly company buildings, industry plants, and—"

Something suddenly hit Justin in the head that caused him to fall on his butt.

"Ow! What the heck was that?!" He cried out in pain.

Aly kneeled towards him to make sure he was all right. Justin assured he was fine, but wanted to know what hit him. On his right, he saw a small orange ball. As he went to pick it up, something swept it right before his eyes. Justin looked up to see a familiar light-brown coloured Pokémon playing with it.

"Eevee! What was that for?" Justin asked, raising his voice a bit.

"Ee-vuie!"

Justin then froze up. That came from behind him. As he turned around, he saw Eevee there.

"Wait, if you're there...then whose is that?" Justin asked confused.

"I'm not sure. The Pokedex didn't say anything about there being wild Eevees here," Aly explained.

Justin's Eevee walked towards the other one.

"Vu-vuie! Ee-vuie!," Eevee said

"Ee-vee, Ee," the other Eevee said back.

"Ee-vee, Vuie!" Justin's Eevee cried out happily, smiling. The other Eevee smiled, and then the both started to playfully run and chase each other.

"They're friends already! Would you look at that?" Justin remarked.

"Eevee! Where are you?!" a voice yelled from down the road. A girl with brown hair in a red shirt and beige shorts, who looked around Justin's age, ran towards the group.

"There you are!" the girl said, stopping to kneel towards the other Eevee. "I told you to stay put. Why did you all of a sudden run off?"

Eevee showed her the orange ball.

"Oh, I see. Next time, let me know where you're going ok?" the girl said.

"Ee-vee!" Eevee agreed, smiling. The girl then paused and looked up at Justin and Aly.

"Oh, who are you guys?"

"My name is Justin Riser from the Eruva Region! And this is my partner Eevee!" Justin exclaimed.

"Ee-vy," Eevee said.

"My name is Aly Eatos from Pallet Town in Kanto." Aly replied.

"I'm Lyra from Ruby City. And I see you met Eevee already," Lyra exclaimed in a friendly voice.

Lyra's Eevee smiled and cried out its name. Justin's Eevee came over and both started playing again.

"It seems like our Eevees have already become good friends," Lyra pointed out.

"Sure seems like it," Justin said right back.

"So Lyra, what brings you to this area?" Aly asked.

"Well, I'm a Pokémon Trainer just like you guys...I'm here just exploring this new area. Apparently there are wild Growlithe around, and I think catching one will really help me on my journey." Lyra explained.

"Did you already challenge the Amethyst Gym yet?" Justin asked.

"Sure did," Lyra said smiling. She then reached for her bag and grabbed a small case. "Look, this is what we got," she said as she opened the case, revealing a purple round badge.

"NO WAY! You already have that badge?"

"Yep, it was a tough battle. I prevailed valiantly...or I just got lucky." She chuckled.

"Awesome! I plan on challenging the gym as soon as Aly and I get to Amethyst City," Justin explained.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck then Justin." Lyra replied in a nice tone.

"Thanks!"

"By the way, how's your Growlithe search coming along," Aly asked.

"We came across a Growlithe twice, almost catching it the 2nd time, but it got away. But, Eevee and I won't give up. We are determined to catch that Pokémon even if it takes us all day!" Lyra explained. "Right Eevee?"

"Eevee!" Lyra's Eevee cried, as both Eevees climbed back onto their respective trainer's shoulder

"That's great. I hope you find it." Aly said.

"Thanks Aly! Well, I guess we-"Lyra said but stopped in mid sentence. She then looked to her right.

"What's wrong?" Justin asked.

"Shhh...It's here."

"Growlithe?" Aly asked.

"Mhm, and its close," Lyra softly spoke. Her Eevee jumped onto the ground and ran a few steps ahead of Lyra to scout around the area. After a few moments, a patch of long grass to their right started to shake. Lyra and her Eevee turned their attention to it. All of a sudden, something jumped out of the grass and started running. It was a red dog-like Pokémon that had black stripes.

"THAT'S IT!" Lyra shouted as she and Eevee started to run after the Growlithe.

"C'mon, let's follow them." Justin said, and started following Lyra.

"Uh...well, ok. Hey! Slow Down!" Aly replied.

They both eventually caught up with Lyra who was still on pursuit for that Growlithe. They continued to run down the dirt path and into the small forest area. The Growlithe then veered away from the dirt path and ran into the sea of trees. All the trainers followed it keenly; avoid trees and long branches sticking out. They then made their way through the tall grass and into a small open area covered in just dirt with trees surrounding it.

"Eevee, use shadow ball!" Lyra commanded. Eevee created a dark ball of energy and released it towards the ground ahead of Growlithe. This caused a mini explosion, causing the Pokemon to stop in its tracks. It then turned around and faced Eevee and Lyra. Justin and Aly then finally caught up with them.

"Well Growlithe, shall we do this battle now?" Lyra said.

"Ee," Eevee cried out. The Growlithe gave both of them a quick look.

"Growwww," Growlithe let out a cry, raising its front 2 legs and then slamming then on the ground.

"Now Eevee, use tackle!" Lyra commanded. Her Eevee started to charge towards the Growlithe. Growlithe started to charge towards Eevee, using a tackle attack of its own. The 2 then collided with each other, bouncing back in the direction they came from and landing hard on the ground. Growlithe quickly got back up.

"Hey Eevee, are you all right?" Lyra asked. Eevee got up as well. "All right! Eevee, use your quick attack!"

"Eeee-vy!" Eevee cried as it charged towards Growlithe at blistering speed. Growlithe dodged the attack by running and jumping out of the way. It then jumped towards Eevee, opened its mouth, and then clenched down on Eevee. Eevee cried out in pain.

"That's Growlithe's bite attack!"Aly called out.

"Eevee, shake it off!" Lyra commanded. Eevee shook back and forth, but Growlithe wouldn't let go. Lyra had to think quickly.

"Eevee, tackle towards that tree," Lyra commanded. Eevee then charged straight ahead for a nearby tree. It was going very fast that Growlithe held on tight. It may have caused Eevee pain, but it was determined to win and followed with its trainer's command. A few feet before Eevee reached the tree, Lyra then called out a move.

"Now Eevee, shift to the right!"

Eevee then shifted right just barely missing the tree. This caused Growlithe to slam hard into it.

"Growww..." Growlithe let out a painful cry, and then lied against the tree. It slowly got up, but then looked ahead to see Eevee use its tackle attack. The light brown Pokemon hit Growlithe hard, where it made Growlithe unable to continue the battle. Lyra then got out her Pokeball.

"All right! Go, Pokeball!" Lyra yelled, as she threw her Pokeball at Growlithe. The Pokeball hit Growlithe on the head, and then emitted a red flashing light which engulfed Growlithe in it. The Pokeball then fell on the ground and then rocked left to right continuously.

"Come on..."Lyra said. Aly and Justin looked on. The Pokeball kept rocking until finally, it stopped. Lyra then walked up to the Pokeball.

"All right! We got ourselves a Growlithe!" Lyra celebrated, lifting the Pokeball in the air. Her Eevee then jumped for joy beside her.

"Congratulations!"" Justin said, walking up to her with Aly.

"Thanks Justin! It took awhile, but I finally got it" Lyra said. Just after that, her stomach grumbled. She reached for her stomach and started laughing.

"Hehehe...looks like all that battling made me hungry." Lyra said. "You guys want to join me?"

"Well, we actually just ate. But, we'll hang with you for a bit," Aly said with a smile.

* * *

Justin, Aly and Lyra gathered around some tree stumps they found in the forest. Lyra was eating away at a sandwich while Justin and Aly were checking out the Map of Minero. Justin's and Lyra's Eevee played together around the area.

"So Lyra, how's your journey been so far besides the gym match and new Pokémon?" Justin asked.

"Well, I just started about a week ago from Ruby City. It was my 15th birthday, which signals the start of my Pokémon journey!" Lyra explained.

"Wait, you started at 15?" Aly said shocked.

"Yep. I know in the other regions its 10 years old. But here in Minero, they changed the regulation here. They felt that 10 years old was too young for kids to go out on a journey on their own."

"It's just like in the Eruva Region where I come from. We take these Pokemon entry tests at 15 years old. That way we still have an education once our Pokemon journey comes to an end later in the future." Justin said.

"That's pretty cool! Hey Aly, I know that Kanto Pokemon trainers start at age 10. But, you look older than that," Lyra said in a curious voice.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm 15 just like you. I started at this age just like you and Justin. The reason though...it's something I don't like to talk much about," Aly said uncomfortably.

"Oh why not?" Lyra asked. Justin intervened and shook his head. Lyra just nodded.

"I see. But yeah, I was supposed to go to Mineral Town to see Professor Rose for my starter Pokémon. But, it turned out my parents got me an Eevee for my birthday present. It was so neat; it was my very first Pokémon. I notified Professor Rose about Eevee and she was just fine with it. She transferred a pokedex and Pokeballs to me and I started on my journey." Lyra explained.

"Wow, that's pretty neat!" Aly said.

"Well, it's all right I guess. Now, our goal is to win enter the Minero League and become the champion!"

"That's my goal too. So I guess you and me are rivals now." Justin remarked.

"It appears so. I'll just say may the best trainer come on top!" Lyra said, extending her hand for a handshake.

"Don't worry, I will" Justin replied, shaking her handshake.

"And with that, a rivalry is born," Aly giggled.

"Hey Aly, aren't you entering the Minero League too?" Lyra asked.

"Well, it's hard to explain. I didn't do so well back in Kanto and… well, I don't have a lot of confidence right now. So, I'm just taking a break for now until I get things figured out." Aly explained.

"I get it. I hope you get things figured out soon Aly."

"That's kind of you Lyra. Thanks!"

Justin's and Lyra's Eevee both returned to their respective trainers to join the group. They both got out Pokémon food for the Eevees to eat. The Pokémon then started munching on their food, hungry from their play time.

"There ya go Eevee," Justin said to Eevee, massaging its soft fur.

"Vy!" Eevee cried out happily. Eevee really liked that, and started to smile and feel relaxed.

"You and Eevee seem to be really close Justin," Lyra observed. Her Eevee had also finished its food where she returned it to its Pokeball.

"Yeah, we've been through quite a bit in our short time together."

"Hey, how did you and your Eevee meet?"

"Um, well, you see-"

Justin was cut off by huge ruffling going on in the bushes behind him. The group looked in the direction where the sound was coming from. After awhile, someone came out of those bushes. He was wearing a beige shirt with dark blue pants and a cap. Justin gasped after looking at him.

The boy gasped too, but then made sarcastic "hmph" noise.

"It's you..." Justin said with an angry tone. They both just stared at each other.

"Aly, do you know who that is?" Lyra asked, confused about the situation.

"I think I do..." Aly said worriedly. Both girls then noticed Justin's Eevee. It was quivering in fear, having a scared face on it. Eevee ran towards Justin and jumped into his arms to hide.

"What's up with Eevee?" Lyra asked.

"Just watch," Aly suggested, as her and Lyra watched on Justin and the other boy.

"So Ron, what brings you out to this part of Minero?" Justin asked.

"Why do you care?" Ron remarked rudely.

"I knew it," Aly said.

"Knew what?" Lyra asked.

"This guy named Ron. He is the reason Justin and Eevee met. Apparently, Eevee was originally Ron's Pokémon. But after a few losses, Ron felt Eevee was too weak to be on his team and released it. Apparently it had already gone through strenuous training so it was worn out. But, Ron abandoned it in its exhausted state. It wasn't until Justin arrived that where he brought Eevee to the Pokémon Centre. That's how Justin and Eevee met," Aly explained to Lyra.

"Wow, that's intense."

"And it's about to get more heated," Aly said, as she looked on at Justin and Ron. Ron seemed to have caught Justin's Eevee at the corner of his eye.

"So, you're still carrying around that excuse of a Pokemon I see." Ron said coldly.

"Vuie..." Justin's Eevee said sadly, looking down with a sad look on its face.

"What'd you say?!" Justin yelled.

"I know what kind of Pokémon Eevee is; a weak one that will never be strong. Any trainer can see that," Ron taunted.

"I'll have you know Eevee is a great Pokémon! As long as you believe in them, they can do anything! C'mon bro! This is Pokémon 101!"

"Ha, well, how about a battle? I'd love to prove you wrong." Ron said as he pulled out a Pokeball from his belt.

Justin then looked down at Eevee, who at the same time looked up at him.

"Eevee, how about we battle him and show him how strong you are?" Justin suggested

"Ee-vuie..." Eevee said with a nervous tone as it lowered its head further. Justin bent down and massaged Eevee's fur.

"I promise I'll be right here with you."

A few moments after, Eevee's nervous look then turned into a serious one. It then jumped in front of him, with the look of determination on its face.

"Vy," Eevee cried out confidently.

"All right! Let's do our best Eevee." Justin said. "Fine, I accept your challenge Ron."

"Fine, here's my Pokemon. Go Magby!" Ron shouted, as he threw a Pokeball into the air. Out came a red Pokemon with a four-clover head and a tail.

"Whoa, a Magby," Justin said, as he then pulled out his Pokedex.

"_**Magby, the Live Coal Pokemon. **__**Each and every time it inhales and exhales, hot embers dribble from its mouth and nostrils."**_

"Hmmm, seems tough. But Eevee and I can do it," Justin said. "Man, this is going to be so awesome!"

"Why are you always so giddy? Gosh you're annoying." Ron taunted. Justin growled back and shifted his focus to winning the battle. Both trainers and Pokemon stood about 20 feet apart on the dirt surface below them. It was perfect space for a Pokemon battle.

"Go Justin! You can do it!" Aly cheered on.

"Hmph...your cheerleaders are pretty annoying too. They'll probably distract you." Ron remarked nonchalantly.

"Wow, someone needs a hug," Lyra said sarcastically. Ron didn't bother to answer her.

"All right! Eevee, use tackle!" Justin commanded. Eevee started to charge towards Magby at a fast speed. Ron didn't tell Magby to do anything though.

"_Why isn't Magby doing anything? Well, let's take advantage," _Justin thought to himself. Eevee was just about to hit Magby.

But, at the last second, Ron called out a command. "Ember!"

Magby then shot fire balls right from its mouth the hit Eevee, causing it to fly to other way and land hard on the ground.

"No Eevee! You all right?" Justin called out. Eevee got up quickly and nodded.

"Nice! All right, Eevee use sand attack!" Justin commanded.

"Ee-vee!" Eevee cried out as it shot sand from the ground towards Magby.

"Magby, ember again!" Ron commanded. Magby shot fire balls from its mouth. The sand and fire balls collided with each other, causing a smoke explosion where each person couldn't see the opponent.

"Magby, use faint attack!" Ron commanded.

Eevee looked around nervously around to find Magby. But, it was too late because Magby appeared in front of Eevee unexpectedly and sucker punched it. Eevee flew backwards onto the ground.

"Oh no!" Justin cried out worriedly.

"C'mon Eevee, you can do it!" Lyra and Aly both cheered. Eevee then slowly got up, grimacing through the pain.

"All right Eevee, use tackle!" Justin commanded. Eevee then started to charge straight towards Magby.

"Hmph, this again. Magby, use Ember!" Ron commanded.

"Mag-by!" Magby then shot fire balls at Eevee again.

"Eevee, jump up to dodge!" Justin commanded. Eevee then jumped up in the air, just barely dodging the ember attack.

"What the?" Ron said surprised. Magby then looked up.

"Now, use quick attack!" Justin commanded. Eevee in mid-air charged right at Magby and landed a direct hit, sending Magby backwards onto the ground.

"Man this battle is really coming along! Eevee, use your tackle again!" Justin commanded. Eevee then charged towards Magby, who had just gotten up onto its feet.

"Magby, Leer!" Ron called out. Magby then gave Eevee a terrifying glare, which caused Eevee to stop and become frightened.

"Now, use smokescreen!"

"Mag-by!" Magby cried out, surrounding the area in black smoke coming from its mouth. Eevee gasped, looking around for Magby.

"Not again! Eevee, use quick attack in a circle to clear the smoke!" Justin commanded.

"Eeee-vy!" Eevee cried out, running at fast speeds to create winds and clear the smoke. But after it subsided, Magby was nowhere to be found. Justin then gasped.

"Where did it go?" Lyra asked.

"Now Magby, use Ember!" Ron commanded. Justin then looked around to see where it was coming from. He looked up to the sky and saw Magby shooting down fire balls from the air at Eevee. They hit Eevee very hard, causing a smoke explosion.

"Eevee, no!" Justin cried out.

"Oh no!" Aly said concerned. The smoke then subsided, and Eevee was on the ground trying to get back up. Despite its efforts, it collapsed to the ground.

"EEVEE!" Justin called out, running towards Eevee. He picked up Eevee into his arms. "Eevee, are you ok?"

"Ee," Eevee cried out softly, as it gave a faint smile.

"Thanks for a great battle Eevee," Justin said calmly. He then looked back up and stared back at Ron, who returned Magby to its Pokeball.

"I told you, that Eevee is weak, just like you." Ron taunted. After that, he started to walk away.

Justin looked on, but then focused down at Eevee. "Don't worry Eevee. I promise, we'll train harder and beat him next time."

"Ee-vee," Eevee said softly, and then fell asleep.

"Justin!" Aly and Lyra called out, running towards him.

"Are you all right?" Aly asked him.

"Yea, I'm fine. Eevee seems to be taking a rest now." Justin replied.

"I'm sorry about how your match ended," Lyra said.

"Ah, it's ok. It's just motivation for us to get stronger."

"You're right! But I got to admit, that Ron guy sure is something else. Like c'mon, he's rude, inconsiderate, everything a Pokémon Trainer shouldn't be."

"Yeah. But, he is good." Justin said. "_And soon, we'll get good enough to take him down and prove that Eevee is a strong Pokémon."_

"Well, I'm going to stick around here for a bit. Explore the area and maybe find some new Pokémon." Lyra said to the group. They had made their way out of the forest and were standing before a fork in the dirt path leading to 2 different directions.

"Ok, have fun and maybe we'll see you soon." Aly said.

"Yeah, I hope so. Justin, Good luck with your Amethyst Gym Battle. I'm sure you'll do great," Lyra said to Justin.

"And Eevee, I'm glad you're better, I'll see ya soon to okay?" She added, petting Eevee on the head.

"Eevee!" Eevee cried out happily.

"And Aly, good luck to you too with your journey. I hope you discover what you're looking for."

"Thanks Lyra," Aly said.

"Well, I'm off, see you guys later!" Lyra said as she started running towards the opposite path. Justin and Aly waved back, and then started walking along the other path.

* * *

"_Wow, those guys were cool!" _Lyra thought to herself. "_I hope I get to meet them again on my journey. I must say...that Justin is kinda cute." _ She giggled at that thought and continued on ahead.

* * *

"Lyra seemed very nice eh?" Justin asked.

"For sure! I'm glad we met her today. Unlike Ron," Aly added.

"Yeah, I never thought I was going to meet him again," Justin said softly. Eevee then looked at Justin, where Justin then placed his hand on the side of Eevee's head and started massaging it.

"But, now I know Eevee and I have to get stronger if we want to make it into the Minero League. And I say our journey will get better and better."


	6. Chapter 6 - Lakeside Enemies

_**A/N: A little longer chapter than usual, but hopefully it's still enjoyable.**_

**Chapter 6: Mystery of the Lake**

In the open grassy field stood a Marill, staring confused at the female trainer before it. She was in a stance leaning towards it, but was trembling in her place.

"Now...how do I catch a Pokemon again?" Aly pondered nervously.

"You throw the Pokeball at it? But you haven't weakened it-"Justin said before interrupted.

"Ah! Got it! Pokeball! Go!" Aly threw the Pokeball at the Marill. The blue round Pokemon spun around and used its tail to hit the Pokeball back right into Aly's face. Aly froze from the pain and Justin, Eevee and Squirtle looked on. Marill then ran away into the tall grass.

"Uh...are you all right?!" Justin asked with a sigh drop falling from his head. The Pokeball fell from Aly's face as she just sunk to the floor.

"I'm an embarrassment of a Pokemon Trainer..." Aly moaned as she sobbed a little. Squirtle walked over to go comfort her.

"Well, you should have listened to me and weakened it first..." Justin suggested as he walked up to her.

"C'mon Aly, cheer up! There will be another time!"

Aly cleared her tears and looked up at Justin.

"We're near Amethyst Lake! Let's get a move on! We're going to see some Pokemon and hopefully catch them! I totally can't wait! All this-"

Justin blabbered on excitedly while marching happily away from Aly, Squirtle and Eevee. Aly then turned to the Pokemon and spoke to them.

"You know, sometimes I wish I had Justin's positivity and exuberance. He may act like an idiot sometimes, but he's able to move on. Something I need to do..."

* * *

"Hey, I think we're at Amethyst Lake now!" Aly said happily.

The group had just arrived at Amethyst Lake from a tall hill looking down on it. The sight and scenery were absolutely beautiful and serene. The size of the lake was enormous with a circle shape; the water was sparkling from the sun's rays and was as blue as it can get. Open space of grass and dirt patches surrounded the lake. There was a lodge right near the lake for tourists to inquire information, rent fishing rods and boats to ride.

"THIS PLACE LOOKS AMAZING!" Justin shouted towards the sky in pure joy. Eevee cried out loudly with the same level of excitement. Aly looked over at him and smiled.

"I remember this place very well. I'd come here often since I was little. The lodge is comfortable, there are many Pokémon living in the lake and it's just a peaceful place to be," Aly said.

"How about we let out our Pokémon in order to enjoy the fresh air and view?" Justin suggested.

"Good idea!" Aly said. They both got out their Pokeballs and released the other members of their team.

"Torchic, Tor," Torchic chirped out happily. Torchic smiled as it smelled the fresh air.

"Squirtle, Squirt!" Squirtle cried out happily, putting its hands on its hips as if it was showing off.

"C'mon guys, let's go check it out!" Justin said running ahead. The whole group then started to run down the hill and into the scene. When they reached the bottom, their joy turned into confusion.

"...There's nobody's here. So lame, this totally isn't what I expected."Justin whined while crossing his arms.

"That's strange, this place is always lively." Aly said. They observed the area until Eevee spotted something.

"Ee-vee!" Eevee cried out to get Justin's attention.

"What's up pal?" Justin asked. He saw Eevee was pointing its paw at the lodge. Justin looked closer and saw a sign on the front door. They both ran towards the door to get a better read on it.

"Due to unexpected events, the lake and the lodge are currently closed for the time being." It read.

"Uh Aly, you might want to have a look at this," Justin said. Aly, Squirtle and Torchic then joined the other 2 to look at the sign.

"Unexpected Events? What does that mean?" Aly replied in a scared tone. Things were getting kind of weird and suspicious for the group. But, they then heard some noise behind them. After they turned around, they saw some Pokémon. There were Oddish walking through the grass, Sentret along the side of the lake and Butterfree flying over the lake.

"Hmm, there are usually more around here," Aly said.

"Maybe it has to do with...Hey look!" Justin said excitedly. He then pointed to the end shore side of the Lake. There was a blue Pokémon with a fin on top of its head and orange flaps on the sides of its mouth.

"Hey, it's a Mudkip!" Aly said. She then got out her Pokedex.

"_**Mudkip, the Mud Fish Pokémon. **__**To alert it, the fin on its head senses the flow of water. It has the strength to heft boulders**_**."**

The group then made its way towards the Mudkip on the other side of the Lake. Once they got there, the Mudkip then looked at them.

"It looks so cute!" Aly said.

"I'm gonna catch it!" Justin exclaimed.

"What about me?! What if I want to catch it?!"

"Because I called it first! Plus, you just tried to catch one and failed!" Justin smirked. Aly growled at him and began to yell back. The 2 began to argue, with Eevee and Squirtle trying to break up the fight. Torchic walked over towards Mudkip and started talking to it. All of a sudden, there was an intense bubbling occurring at the Lake. The bubbles created ripples in the water that travelled fast in all directions. Torchic saw this and quickly ran back towards Justin.

"Tor, Tor," Torchic cried out, pecking at Justin's leg.

"Listen Here, I-...You ok Torchic?" Justin asked looking down at Torchic. He got a glance at the Lake and looked on as the bubbling became more intense. Pokemon that were around the lake ran away in fear. Aly and the others turned around to see the phenomenon. Giant waves started to form and collide violently along the shoreline, shooting bits of water onto the heroes. All of a sudden, something massive had arisen from the lake. It was a blue Pokémon with 2 red eyeball-like figures, 14 green tentacles and a set of evil eyes.

"It's a Tentacruel!" Justin called out. Aly then got out her Pokedex to check it out.

"_**Tentacruel, the jellyfish Pokémon. **__**Its 80 tentacles absorb water and stretch almost endlessly to constrict its prey and enemies."**_

"Ten-ta-cruel," Tentacruel cried out loudly, which caused the group to grimace from the sound. This seemed to be a bigger than normal Tentacruel, like almost 2 or 3 times its size. It was pretty much 2 times bigger than the lake lodge...

"Whoa, check out the size of that thing! It seems super strong!" Justin remarked, sounding impressed.

"JUSTIN! THIS ISN'T THE TIME!" Aly yelled. Tentacruel then made one of its tentacles rise high in the air, and slammed it down hard right in front of the group. Justin, Aly and their Pokémon then flew backwards from the wind of the attack and landed on the ground.

"Why is that Tentacruel attacking us?" Justin asked.

"Oh no, what do we do?!" Aly said in a scared tone.

Tentacruel then looked down at Mudkip. It then raised one of its tentacles preparing to attack.

"Mudkip!" Justin cried. He then got up and ran towards Mudkip. Just before the tentacles landed, Justin was able to pick up Mudkip and escape the hit by jumping out of the way.

"Justin!" Aly shouted out. Eevee, Squirtle, Torchic and her made their way towards the 2. "Are you guys all right?"

"I...I think," Justin said, grimacing from the pain. "How about you, Mudkip?"

"Mud," Mudkip said, nodding.

"This is dangerous, we better return our Pokemon." Aly cried out as she grabbed Squirtle's Pokeball and returned it. Justin grabbed Torchic's Pokeball from his belt before hearing a siren.

"Are you guys ok?!" a voice called out from a distance. Justin and Aly looked to where the voice was coming from. It was a lady in blue, wearing what looked like a police uniform. She arrived in front of the group facing Tentacruel. "Charmeleon, Iet's go!"

The lady threw Pokeball in the air and out came a red Pokémon with a flame on its tail.

"Char!" Charmeleon cried out.

"Charmeleon, use smokescreen!" the lady commanded. Charmeleon then shot out a load of smoke from its mouth, blanketing the area with black clouds. This blocked the sight of the Tentacruel.

"C'mon, let's get out of here while we can," she suggested. Justin, Aly and their Pokémon all ran behind the lodge. As the smoke cleared, Tentacruel didn't see anyone anymore, so it just submerged in the lake.

* * *

"Is everyone ok?" the lady asked the group.

"Yea, I think so," Justin and Aly said, looking up at her.

"Hey, you're Officer Jenny!" Aly exclaimed. "I didn't know you guys were in Minero."

"Yep, the Jenny family is all over the Pokémon world! It's our duty to protect all people and Pokémon!"

"I see. Thanks for saving us. By the way, my name is Aly, and this over here is Squirtle." Aly said, then pointing towards the turtle Pokémon.

"My name is Justin Riser! And this is Eevee and Torchic," Justin added.

"Please to meet you all." Jenny said.

"Jenny, what's going on here anyway? And what's with that Tentacruel too?"

"Ok, let's start from the beginning. This area attracted many people from all over to have a good experience. But then, this Tentacruel showed out of nowhere and started scaring people off. Eventually, people stopped visiting this place. It was then we knew we had to do something about this situation."

"But, do you know how Tentacruel appeared in the lake? And why is it attacking people?" Aly asked.

"We don't know. That's what we've been trying to figure out for weeks now. With that Tentacruel acting all crazy at the moment, I'm afraid the Lake won't be open for awhile," Jenny said sadly.

"We can try to battle it!" Justin suggested.

"You can't! Didn't you see how big and strong it is? You're Pokémon are no match for it," Jenny warned.

"Justin, she's right. You're not still enamoured by its strength are you?" Aly asked concernedly.

"No, this time I'm serious. Hey, if we battle it, maybe we can find a weak spot. We also might be able to find out the cause for its behaviour." Justin added.

"...Well, I guess it's worth a shot." Jenny said.

"Me and my Pokémon can handle it as long as we believe!" Justin said confidently. "Right guys?"

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out.

"Tor-chic!" Torhcic chirped.

"Mud-kip!" Mudkip cried out too.

"Seems like Mudkip wants to help out too." Aly remarked.

"Great! Mudkip, welcome to the team," Justin said, kneeling down towards Mudkip extending his hand.

"Mud-kip!" Mudkip cried out smiling, then placing its paw on Justin's hand. Eevee and Torchic then came over to extend their paw and foot to join the huddle.

"Justin...it's really dangerous. Please, just be careful," Aly said in a concerned tone.

"Don't worry Aly, I'll do my best."

* * *

The group made it back in front of the lake. Justin, Eevee, Torchic and Mudkip lined up before the shore on some damp dirt. Aly, Squirtle and Jenny were behind him.

"All right Tentacruel! Come on out wherever you are! Let's have a battle to see how powerful you really are!" Justin yelled out. There was silence for awhile. But then, bubbling and powerful waves occurred in the water once again. Before they knew it, the Tentacruel shot out from the depths of the lake and surfaced.

"Tenta-cruel," Tentacruel moaned in a terrifying voice.

"All right, I challenge you to a battle!" Justin said. "Eevee, the first move is yours. Use Tackle!"

Eevee started to charge right towards Tentacruel. Tentacruel shot out purple spikes at Eevee, which collided with the light brown Pokémon, sending it flying back towards Justin. Justin raised his arms and caught Eevee. Tentacruel then shot Poison spikes right at the group. Everyone dodged it by jumping back a few feet.

"That was Poison Sting! Be careful Justin," Jenny called out. Justin set Eevee back on the ground to join its teammates.

"All right, well, Torchic, use ember!"

"Tor-chic, chic, chic!" Torchic cried out, shooting fire balls out of its mouth towards Tentacruel. Tentacruel shot out its Poison sting to neutralize the attack with ease.

"Mudkip, use Water Gun!" Justin commanded.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out, shooting a stream of water towards Tentacruel. Tentacruel used a water gun of its own, which completely overpowered Mudkip's. It then made contact with Mudkip, sending flying backwards a few feet.

"Mudkip!" Justin shouted running back towards Mudkip.

"Are you all right?" he asked holding it in his arms. Just then, Eevee and Torchic were both sent flying from a water gun attack.

"Eevee, Torchic!" Justin yelled out. Eevee got up all right, but Torchic was still down.

"Justin, Torchic is a fire type, so it's weak against water type moves. Call it back!" Jenny suggested.

"Good idea," he thought. Justin then used one of his hands to grab Torchic's Pokeball and returned it.

"Thanks for your help pal. Take a good rest," Justin said gently. He then stood back up and looked the Tentacruel head on.

"Listen Tentacruel. I don't know what your deal is, but your behaviour has to stop! You've caused trouble to the lake, tourists, wild Pokémon and more. Please, let's stop this before things get worse!"

"Tentacruel!" Tentacruel cried out loudly.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out. Jumping out of Justin's arms and stared the Tentacruel down. Tentacruel then whipped its tentacle right at Mudkip. Mudkip froze, preparing for impact.

"Mudkip no!" Justin called out. He sheltered Mudkip by embracing it. Tentacruel's tentacle then smashed into Justin, causing him to fly forwards and land hard on his back.

"Justin, no!" Aly cried out worriedly. She placed one of her hands on her chest and held tight. Some tears began to form in her eyes. "_I really wish I can help Justin...but, I'm too afraid. Too afraid that...that I'll…no, I'll just put even more risk into the situation. Please be ok Justin."_

"Wow, that hurt," Justin said, grimacing in pain. He slowly sat back up and looked at Mudkip "Mudkip, how are you doing?"

"Mudkip," Mudkip cried out softly. Its eyes glowing at Justin.

"Heh heh, you're a brave little guy aren't ya! But it's just too strong to beat alone. Just chill with me," Justin told Mudkip. It then nodded. Justin then carried Mudkip in his arms again and walked slowly towards Tentacruel. Tentacruel's tentacles continued to wave all over the place, even near where Justin was standing. It started to bend over a bit, then stretched its body full out. That process repeated again and again for a while, continuing to wail its tentacles around uncontrollably. Something was definitely wrong with it, and Justin noticed this.

"Justin, come back, we need to get to a safe distance!" Aly said.

"_That's weird, it looks like it's in pain," _Justin thought. Then, his thoughts were interrupted as he saw one of the tentacles come his way. He dodged it at the last second.

"C'mon!" Jenny called out.

"All right. Eevee, let's go," Justin called out to Eevee. Eevee then ran towards Justin, climbed onto his shoulder and they ran it away from the lake. The Tentacruel continued to act unusual, wailing is tentacles around with its eyelids clenched together. From its cry, it seemed like it was experiencing so much pain.

"What's wrong with Tentacruel?" Aly asked.

"I don't know. I've never seen it like this before." Jenny replied.

Tentacruel then gave a very angry look. Its eyes had changed colour to red. It then cried out and shot its poison sting all over the place. The points made contact trees, rocks, the lodge and the near the ground where the group was standing by. Smoke explosions set off everywhere, causing small debris from the ground to shoot up.

"Oh no, what is it doing?" Jenny asked, trying to avoid the poison points charging towards her.

Tentacruel continued its rampage, acting berserk and not caring about its surroundings. It was then that a helicopter came overhead and started to land near the lodge. It came to level with the Tentacruel and continued to float in the air. Justin noticed something, there was a radar satellite dish coming out of that chopper. It was emitting red waves in the direction of Tentacruel.

"I think those radio waves are causing Tentacruel to act all funny," Justin yelled, as it was very noisy from the helicopter's propellers.

Tentacruel continued its behaviour until finally, it collapsed on shore. The helicopter slowly hovered towards the ground before landing rather dangerously. Out came 2 men in brown robes that ran towards Tentacruel, one of which was carrying a briefcase. When they stopped, the briefcase was opened and out came a small contraption that had a radar dish pointing towards Tentacruel.

"Initiate Power Consumption Beam," one of them said.

The other one nodded, and pressed a button. The point on the dish then emitted a bright light that surrounded Tentacruel within it, just like a Pokeball would.

"Something seems familiar about these guys," Aly said.

"You're right, and I think I know who they are," Justin said. "C'mon Aly, let's go."

The 2 of them then ran towards the shady bunch.

""Wait, come back here!" Jenny said, but it was too late so she just followed along. Justin and Aly continued to run towards the 2 men until one of them noticed.

"It's you kids again!" the man said.

"It's Team Immortal! What are you guys doing here?" Justin said.

"That's none of your business. Get lost!" The man shot back.

"You guys work for Team Immortal?" Jenny asked. "You guys are under arrest!"

"You know them too?" Aly asked.

"Yes. There have been rumors of secret syndicate that has been committing crimes from multinational corporations. They've been really secretive about it as they have stealthily worked their way into the corporation's workforces. The name Team Immortal has been thrown around, so it's our top suspect for now."

"We won't let you interfere with our latest project, The Pokemon Boost Extractor." The first man explained.

"Latest project? Boost Extractor?"

"Why do you like to shout our objectives?" The second man barked at his comrade.

"Because it sounds cool!" The first man scoffed before shifting his attention back to the group.

"Yes. This device here absorbs the power and abilities of Pokémon. And the device on that helicopter emits EM waves that alters a Pokémon's mind and brings out their inner rage, doubling its strength. You see, there was a very extravagant scientist who was working on this contraption in a different reason. Thanks to our generous services, he gave this mechanism to us."

"So wait, you forced this Tentacruel to gain so much strength by messing with its neural system?" Jenny asked.

"And now you're absorbing all that power?" Aly asked as well.

"That explains everything now! The huge Tentacruel, its added strength and bad behaviour. It was all the work of Team Immortal." Justin exclaimed.

"You're right. This Tentacruel here, we emitted EM waves at it about a month ago as an experiment. We used this invention we received from a scientist in another region. Then, we tested it on this Tentacruel and it worked. And now we're absorbing its power." The first man explained further.

"What?" Jenny asked surprised.

"Caius! That's enough out of you! You're acting out of line giving them this kind of information! This is not the time to be cocky!" the other man yelled.

"Relax Raiza. These kids can't be a threat to us." Caius said.

"There's a police officer there, you nimrod!" Raiza added.

"…Didn't think of that."

"_Transfer complete!" _the extracting device announced in a robotic voice.

"Ha! Mission complete I'd say." Caius announced.

"Not if we can help it! Eevee, use Tackle to destroy the machine!" Justin commanded. Eevee then jumped off his shoulder and landed on the ground. It started to charge towards the device.

"Sneasal, come out and block that attack!" Caius called out, throwing a pokeball in the air. Out came the Sneasal from before to block the machine and strike Eevee with its claws.

"Oh no, Eevee!" Justin cried out, running to the aid of his Pokemon.

"Raiza, get back to the chopper!" Caius said.

"Right!" Raiza said as he started to run back to the copter.

"Oh no you don't!" Jenny said, running to chase the other man.

"Aly, I'll take care of this guy; you go with Jenny after that guy." Justin explained.

"All right, good luck Justin," Aly replied. With that, she followed Jenny after the other grunt.

* * *

Justin and Eevee then stood right in front of Sneasal and the grunt of Team immortal.

"Justin eh? That name sounds familiar. No matter, time to take my revenge on you for that last defeat back at the Pokémon Centre." Caius said.

"You're on! Round 2 versus the bad guys! Talk about a super sequel!" Justin said back. He then placed the hurt Mudkip on the ground beside him.

"All right, Eevee use tackle!" Justin commanded.

"Ee-vee! Eevee cried out, charging towards the Sneasal.

"Sneasal, dodge!" Caius commanded. Sneasal just jumped out of the way. "Now, use slash attack!"

Sneasal then ran towards Eevee getting ready to swipe its sharp claws.

"Eevee, get out of there!" Justin called out.

"EE-VUIE!" Eevee cried out. Suddenly, about 10 Eevees formed around Sneasal. Sneasal then stopped in its tracks, confused at what happened.

"Awesome, Eevee is using double team! Nice job!" Justin exclaimed giving his Pokemon a thumbs up.

"Oh yea, well, I got one trick up my sleeve!" Caius smiled cunningly. He then grabbed 2 other Pokeballs from his belt and threw it into the action. "Go Skorupi and Poocheyena!"

The Pokeball then shot out a pink and purple scorpion Pokémon and a black and grey pooch Pokémon.

"Skorupi and Poocheyena? Hey, you can't send out more Pokémon! It's not cool bro!" Justin called out.

"Doesn't matter, I need to win. Skorupi, use poison sting! Poocheyena, sand attack! Sneasal, icy wind!"

Sneasal shot out a cold wind, Skorupi shot white points from its tail and Poocheyena then used its paw to lift sand off the ground towards the Eevees. They hit all of them, removing all the fakes and hitting the real Eevee hard. Eevee was sent backwards towards Justin from the attack.

"Eevee, no!" Justin then grabbed a Pokeball from his belt. "Go Torchic!"

He threw the Pokeball in the air and out came the orange chick Pokémon.

"Torchic!" Torchic chirped out.

"_He still has one more Pokémon than me, this is going to be tough," _Justin thought. Just then, he felt a nudge on his leg. He looked down to see Mudkip.

"Mudkip, Mud," Mudkip cried out, having the look of determination on its face.

"You want to help out too Mudkip?" Justin asked.

Mudkip nodded. "All right. I'm counting on you." Mudkip then ran into the battle to join Eevee and Torchic.

"You ain't so tough now that it's not 3 on 1, eh? Now guys, let's go!" The 3 Pokémon charged ahead.

"Eevee, use Quick Attack. Torchic, use ember! Mudkip, use water gun!" Justin commanded.

Eevee charged right at Sneasal with a burst of speed, colliding into it and causing Sneasal to fall backwards. Skorupi then dashed towards Eevee using Bite attack. Eevee jumped up into the air, dodging Skorupi's attack. Torchic came right in front of Skorupi's vision and launched an ember attack right at it. This caused Skorupi to be sent flying backwards to Caius. Poocheyenna dashed at Torchic going to use a tackle attack. Just then, Mudkip came between the 2 and shot its water gun at Poocheyenna, causing it to fall on its back. All three of the grunt's Pokémon were unable to battle anymore.

"Torchic!" Torchic chirped at Mudkip, smiling.

"Mud!" Mudkip cried out looking back at Torchic and nodding.

"What?! How could I lose to a kid?!" Caius shouted.

"All right. End this project now!" Justin shouted out. His Pokémon then let out a cry of agreement too. Caius then returned his Pokémon and ran towards the chopper.

* * *

Aly and Jenny caught up with the other grunt heading for the helicopter.

"Oh no you don't. Charmeleon, I choose you!" Jenny called out, throwing out her pokeball to summon Charmeleon. "Use flamethrower!"

"Char!" Charmeleon cried out, shooting out fire from its mouth right in front of the Raiza's direction. It caused him to stop.

"Well, it's time for me to use this!" Raiza grabbed 2 long ring devices from his pocket and threw them at Jenny. It expanded, hooped around her and Charmeleon and tightened around their bodies. Jenny and her Pokemon stumbled and fell over onto the ground.

"No! Jenny, are you ok?" Aly asked.

"I think so, but Charmeleon and I can't battle now. It's up to you to stop them!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Me? I don't think I can..."

"Aly, please! You can't let him get away. Be brave, I know you can do it!"

Aly stood in fear, but something then dawned on her. Jenny and Justin needed her help. This could be her chance to rebound. "...I'll...try," She remarked before turning to face Raiza.

"_All right...this is my first battle in Minero. Am I scared? Totally. But, there are people counting on me...I need to try. Please…don't act up now."_

"You challenge me? Go, Pidgeotto!" Raiza shouted

The grunt put the device on the floor beside him and threw out a Pokeball, unleashing a bird-like Pokemon with brown feathers and a crest of pink feathers on tops of its head.

"Pidgeo-tto!" it cried out loud flapping its wings to create a gust. Aly braced herself from the wind for a bit before letting up. She grabbed a Pokeball from her belt.

"All right, Squirtle, use water gun!" Aly commanded as she threw the Pokeball in the air. Out came her Squirtle who right away shot water from its mouth at Pidgeotto.

"Pidgeotto, dodge it!" Raiza commanded.

Pidgeotto flapped its wings and flew up in the air, evading Squirtle's attack.

"Now use wing attack!" Pidgeotto dove down and charged towards Squirtle, hitting it with one of its wings that was glowing. Squirtle flew backwards and hit the ground hard.

"Squirtle! You ok? I'm so sorry!" Aly shouted worriedly. She began to run over to Squirtle before Jenny cried out to her.

"Aly, the battle's not over yet! Keep calm and continue to battle." Aly stopped running and looked back up at Raiza.

"Pidgeotto! Use leer!" Raiza commanded. Pidgeotto then gave Squirtle a scary look, causing Squirtle to freeze in a frightened state. "Now use wing attack again!"

Pidgeotto flew up into the air before beginning to descend downwards only to strike Squirtle again.

"Oh no Squirtle!" Aly shouted. Squirtle got up, but slowly. "_This is not good, I don't know..."_

"Too easy. Pidgeotto, finish this with quick attack!" Pidgeotto, with a burst of speed, charged at Squirtle.

"Oh no! What do I do?!"

"Aly, don't give up!" Jenny shouted from the sidelines. Aly then made a split minute decision.

"Squirtle, use withdraw!" Aly commanded.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out hiding back in its shell. Pidgeotto collided right on with Squirtle, but ran into a very hard shell, causing it to recoil backwards.

"Now, Squirtle. Rapid Spin!" Squirtle, while still in its shell, then started to spin at a high speed. It then made its way towards Pidgeotto and hit it right on the head. This caused Pidgeotto to hold its head with its feathers while wobbling backwards.

"What?!" Raiza said worriedly.

"Now Squirtle, Water gun!" Aly commanded.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out, shooting water from its mouth and aiming it at Pidgeotto. The water made impact with the flying Pokemon, sending it flying onto the ground.

"No, Pidgeotto!" Raiza called out. Pidgeotto slowly got back up.

"This is so cool! I'm actually fighting back!" Aly said jumping for joy, along with Squirtle. Jenny somehow managed to escape the bind from Raiza's trap. She ran up to Aly and gave her thumbs up.

"Great job Aly! You're doing well!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Hmph, this battle isn't over yet. Pidgeotto, use-"Raiza cried out before stopping his speech. He looked to his right and saw Caius running towards him, getting chased by Justin and his Pokémon.

"There's no time to waste, we must leave now!" Caius yelled after catching up with him. He was carrying their absorption device in his hands as well.

"Roger that." Raiza returned his Pidgeotto to its Pokeball and ran towards their helicopter. Justin, Aly, Jenny and their Pokemon pursued them, but couldn't keep up. They both got on the chopper, started it up and began to fly.

"They got away..." Jenny said in disgust. She then walked towards the shore where Team Immortal's machine they left behind.

"This is the machine they used to alter Tentacruel's mind!" Justin stated.

"You're right!" Jenny said, holding the machine in her hands. The group then looked at the collapsed Tentacruel, who didn't move an inch.

"We got to help it!" Justin said. Just then, the machine started to glow and emit a bright light. The radar pointer then shot out red waves towards Tentacruel. This caused Tentacruel to wake up and act all berserk again. Its eyes glowed red and its tentacles started to wail around.

"Tentacruel!" Tentacruel cried out, shooting poison stings all over the place.

"We have to stop that machine!" Aly cried out.

"I know, but this stupid machine isn't responding!" Jenny said, pressing random buttons to try to turn it off.

"Leave it to me! Jenny, set it down on the floor! I'll save you Tentacruel!" Justin said. Jenny listened and placed it on the ground.

"Torchic, use ember!" Justin commanded as he threw its Pokeball in the air. Out came Torchic which then shot out its ember attack right at the machine, causing it to explode. Just then, Tentacruel stopped what it was doing. The poison stings stopped firing; its eyes turned back to normal colour and had a blank look.

"Tenta-cruel," moaned Tentacruel, acting all confused.

"Hey, I think it worked!" Aly said. It was then that Tentacruel fall forward onto the shore, just missing the group. It looked exhausted and hurt.

"Oh no, Tentacruel!" Justin said, running towards the Pokémon. Aly and Jenny came over as well.

"It looks hurt," Aly said worriedly.

"I think we should call Nurse Joy out here. Amethyst City is just about 10 minutes away, so she can come here in a jiff.," Jenny said, she then pulled out a phone in order to make a call to the Pokémon Centre. Justin and Aly were at Tentacruel, massaging its tentacles and head. All their Pokémon gathered near its face that was planted sideways on the ground.

"Don't worry Tentacruel, everything is going to be fine," Justin said calmly.

"Yeah, Nurse Joy will be coming soon to take care of you. Just hang in there," Aly said.

Eevee, Torchic, Mudkip and Squirtle all cried out together in order to support Tentacruel.

"Ten-ta," Tentacruel moaned softly. It was seen opening its eyes for a moment, and then closed them.

* * *

"This Tentacruel is suffering from extreme exhaustion. I gave it some medicine. A good rest and Tentacruel should be back to normal." Nurse Joy said happily.

She had just arrived about 15 minutes ago and had completed a full examination on Tentacruel at the Lake. There were a bunch of Police officers around the area talking to Jenny about what happened. Justin, Eevee, Torchic, Mudkip, Aly and Squirtle stood by Tentacruel.

"It looks like you're going to be ok Tentacruel!" Justin said happily.

"I'm so glad," Aly said, with a sigh of relief.

"Tentacruel," Tentacruel moaned. Its eyes showed gratitude towards the group. They all smiled back.

"You take care of yourself ok?" Justin asked.

"Tentacruel," Tentacruel moaned out in agreement. It then submerged back into the lake.

"Well, see you again sometime Tentacruel," Aly said. She then turned around and saw Officer Jenny walking towards them.

"I want to thank both of you for all your help today," Jenny said.

"Aw, it was nothing!" Justin said with a smile on his face.

"Now thanks to you guys, the Lake can finally be re-opened again to the public!" Jenny said.

"All right! That's wonderful news!" Aly exclaimed.

"Hey, are there any leads on Team Immortal yet?" Justin asked.

"Unfortunately not. But you can be assured that our search will continue and not stop until we have those crooks!" Jenny said confidently.

"Sounds good!" Aly remarked.

"Well, we should really be going now. It's been a long day, and we got to get to Amethyst City before nightfall." Justin explained.

"No worries. Take care guys!" Jenny said, walking away while waving.

"Thanks and goodbye!" Justin and Aly both said, waving right back.

"Man, that Team Immortal eh?" Justin said to Aly. "Using machines to control and absorb the energy of Pokémon? That's just horrible."

"I know. I wonder where they plan to strike next." Aly wondered.

"I don't know. But hey, I heard you held your own against the Team Immortal Grunt!"

"Yeah, I did! It was totally nerve-wracking, but near the end I started to get the hang of it!"

"_And luckily I didn't have an episode either…which is sort of surprising. Maybe I'm…" _Aly thought to herself.

"I knew you could do it Aly. It's just a matter of time before you're back in the game!" Justin exclaimed as he raised his hand for a high five, which Aly returned.

"Thanks Justin! Anyways, we should get going now." Justin then looked down at Mudkip. "Well Mudkip. I guess this is goodbye."

"Mudkip," Mudkip cried out sadly. Justin then returned Torchic back to its Pokeball, and Aly returned Squirtle back to its own Pokeball. Eevee then hopped back on Justin's shoulder.

"See ya! Thanks for all your help!" Justin said. He and Aly began to turn around and walk back on route. As they walked a few meters, they turned around to notice that Mudkip was following them.

"Oh, you're still here?" Justin asked.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out. It then ran towards Justin and jumped into his arms.

"It seems as though Mudkip wants to join you Justin," Aly said.

Justin looked down at Mudkip. "Is that true Mudkip?" he asked the blue Pokémon.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out nodding and smiling.

"All right then." Justin said. He then lowered to the ground and let Mudkip back onto it.

"Welcome to the team!" Justin said excitedly, as he threw a Pokeball into the air.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out happily. It jumped up and tapped the Pokeball with its fin. The Pokeball opened up and engulfed Mudkip in a red beam of light, transferring it into the ball. It then dropped to the floor and rocked back and forth a bit before settling down. Justin walked up to the Pokeball to pick it up.

"This is awesome! I got myself a Mudkip!" Justin said happily, raising the Pokeball in the air.

"Eevee!" Eevee cried out happily as well.

"That's great Justin. But...why do you always have to catch them!" Aly whined.

"Hmm, maybe it's because I called it first!" He replied back with a silly smirk on his face.

"WHAT?! Yeah ok! You-" The 2 continued to argue as they walked along the path, where Justin eagerly awaits his chance to challenge the Amethyst Gym and win his first badge.

* * *

The Team Immortal helicopter was approaching its landing platform. "Do you think that kid with the Eevee poses a threat to us?" Raiza asked.

"Well, out of all our missions, he was the only one to fight back. He was strong too," Caius explained. "That kid though. His name was Justin. I swear I know who he is."

"I think we should report this to the boss."

_**Next chapter will be Justin's first gym battle.**_


	7. Chapter 7 - First Gym Leader

_**Please excuse the typo I had on the Chapter 6 title. I originally had it as Mystery of the Lake, but it's actually called Lakeside Enemies. I hadn't realized this until posting this chapter.**_

**Chapter 7: First Gym Leader**

Justin and Aly had just arrived at Amethyst City before nightfall. They stood before the entrance of the city where a sign on the road read "Welcome to Amethyst City!"

"Finally, we're here!" Aly said. Everyone else cheered happily.

Justin and Aly continued to walk through the city. There were tall buildings all over, both big name corporations and town apartments. The entire area was about twice the size as Mineral town. Each of them had a purple scheme colour to them. The streetlights were lit up, giving the city night scene a beautiful sight to see. Cars and busses occupied the roads, travelling through the streets towards their destination. Many different people were walking down the sidewalks, ranging from Pokémon trainers to young families.

A cool breeze then flew in, dropping the temperature by a bit. Justin and Aly put on their jackets and walked a little quicker to avoid getting a chill. They finally arrived at the local Pokémon Centre and went inside. It had a different interior layout than the Centre on Route 401. The walls were a dark purple with light green couches and seats. Other trainers and people were in the centre interacting with each other. Justin and Aly both spotted Nurse Joy at the front counter.

"Nurse Joy! Can you please take care of our Pokémon?" Justin and Aly both asked walking up to her.

"Why of course. I'll get to them right away." Nurse Joy said with a smile on her face. "Oh Chansey!"

A Chansey then came from around the corner with a stretcher and pokeball trays on it. Justin and Aly put their Pokeballs on the tray.

"Eevee, I'll see you in a bit, ok?" Justin told Eevee.

"Phvy!" Eevee cried out and nodded. It then jumped onto the stretcher as well. Chansey then pulled the stretcher and turned it around in order to push it around the corner.

"Now, why don't we get something to eat?" Justin suggested.

"Yeah, I'm starving!" Aly replied. The 2 then went to the dining hall and got some food to eat. They entered the dining hall, got some food and grabbed a seat.

"So, do you even know anything about the gym here? Like whom the gym leader is and what type of Pokémon they use?" Aly asked while eating her meal.

"Uhhhhhh...not a clue!" Justin smiled brightly. "I figure my drive and determination will lead me to victory."

Aly sighed in disappointment. "Of course it will...Well, it wouldn't hurt to do a little planning."

"... I guess you're right," Justin sighed. It was just then that they saw 2 people walking their way, talking to each other.

"So how did your gym battle go with Harry?" the one boy asked.

"Well, I lost, but we did better this time than the last. His Psychic Pokémon are extremely tough," the other boy said back. They both walked by the table where Justin overheard their whole conversation.

"Well, that's that. I'm fighting psychic Pokémon tomorrow." Justin remarked.

"If that's the case, types that are super effective against it are Dark, Ghost and Bug moves." Aly explained. "It's too bad none of your Pokémon know any of those move types."

"Well, I'll figure it out." Justin said. "And when I win tomorrow, I'll have my first gym badge!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself now." Aly giggled.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Justin said laughing too. After they had finished their food, Chansey came by with the stretcher that had Eevee and both Justin and Aly's pokeballs on it. Eevee jumped into Justin's arms.

"Eevee! So good to see you!" Justin said the small Pokémon.

"Vuie, Vy!" Eevee cried out happily. It then made its way back onto Justin's shoulder. Justin and Aly took their Pokeballs from the cart and continued to chat and eat.

* * *

The 2 finished their dinner and chilled out in the Centre's lounge for a while before deciding to pack it in.

"Well, it's getting late. Let's go to bed early so you'll be rested for your battle tomorrow." Aly suggested.

"Ok sure. Are you going to challenge the gym leader too?" Justin asked. Aly looked down with a sad expression on her face.

"Uh, I'm not sure I'm ready to challenge a gym just yet. I mean...I just figured out battling back in Amethyst Lake..." She said sadly.

"Oh...ok. Well, take all the time you need to figure it out Aly. If you need any help, I'm here for you!" Justin said, giving a thumbs up to her.

"Thanks Justin. You're sweet." Aly said with a brighter expression on her face. The 2 of them made their way to the bedrooms located in the centre.

"Ok, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." Justin said as he walked towards his room.

* * *

Early morning Justin, Eevee, and Aly made their way to the Amethyst Gym just a few blocks west from the Pokemon Centre. It was a big building that was very wide and had a sleek purple colour to it. The windows shined brightly from the sun above.

"Ok, this is it." Justin said, shaking a little nervously. The 2 then entered through the gym's doors. They entered a small room with a small desk right at the back. There was a woman sitting behind it, into her paperwork. Justin and Aly walked towards her.

"Hi, I'd like to challenge this gym's leader to a battle!" Justin said excitedly.

"Why yes, of course! Can I just get your name?" the woman asked politely.

"My name is Justin Riser from Eruva!"

"Welcome Justin to the Amethyst Gym. My name is Tara. Our leader is right this way."

"Sure!"

"Um, excuse me miss, but are you going to battle as well?" Tara asked Aly.

"Me? Oh no, not now. I'm here to cheer my friend on," Aly said, looking away shyly.

"I see. That's all right. Now, if you both would just follow me, we'll get to the arena." Justin and Aly followed Tara through the main doors. Inside was a huge arena with a purple walls and gold bleachers. The floors had a nice shine to it, with the outlines of a Pokémon battlefield marked on it.

"Man, everything is purple here..." Justin remarked to Aly, who giggled at his deduction.

"Harry! You've got a challenger!" Tara called out.

Justin and Aly looked around to find this Harry. A few seconds after, doors opened from the other side of the arena. Out came a tall man with long brown hair, brown pants, a purple shirt and a black cape.

"Welcome challengers! My name is Harry, the Amethyst's Gym Leader!" Harry shouted as he raised his arms to the sky, showing off the arena. Harry then jumped up into the air, doing a flip and landing in a flashy pose. He then strutted with finesse and elegance towards Justin and Aly.

"_So, that's the gym leader? Wow, this guy is something..." _Justin thought to himself. "Hey there! I'm Justin Riser, and I'd like to challenge you to a battle! So let's get to it!"

"Why of course! Let's make this a great match! Let's see how you're style of battling compares to mine!" Harry announced, swaying his arms from left to right dramatically, and then giving thumbs up.

"Heh heh. Yeah, sure...whatever you say bud." Justin laughed softly.

"_This guy is as dramatic as Justin." _Aly thought to herself, giggling a bit.

"And you, beautiful young lady! Will you be challenging the gym too?" Harry asked, pointing at Aly.

"Uh, well, you see...I'm just..." Aly stuttered, looking away shyly again. Justin then stepped forward.

"Aly's on a little break now from Pokemon battling. It's been a bit tough for her recently so she's...kind of recharging. She wants to be 100% ready before she gets back into the grind." Aly looked up at him, raising her hand over her mouth while a small tear dropped down her face as she was surprised and grateful on how Justin stood up for her.

"Mmm, I see. Young Lady, Aly was your name, yes?" Harry asked.

"Um, that's right sir." Aly replied.

"Please, call me Harry! Well Aly. Maybe this battle will help give you some guidance. Looking at your friend here, I can tell this is going to be a battle to remember."

"Uh, ok sure."

"All right Justin, are you ready?" Harry asked, looking back at Justin.

"Sure am!" Justin said, raising his fist with the look of determination on his face.

* * *

Justin and Harry stood at opposite ends of the battle field. Each having a serious game face on, looking like 2 cowboys in the Wild West raring to face-off against each other. Justin felt a sense of nervousness in his body while facing down Harry. It was his first gym battle ever. All of the academic teachings from Eruva were going to be put to the test. Eevee stood right beside its trainer.

"_All right. First Gym Leader Battle in Minero. Gotta admit, the nerves are hitting me more than I expected. But, if I want to win, I have to believe. Believe in my Pokémon, and believe in myself." _Justin thought to himself. He looked down at his partner Eevee and nodded at it.

"Let's do this."

"Go Justin!" Aly cheered from the stands. Squirtle was out, waving pom-poms in the air. Tara was sitting right next to them. Justin looked over at his friend and acknowledged her encouragement.

"The Pokémon battle between Justin and Gym Leader Harry will now begin. Each competitor will be able to use 2 Pokémon each. Only the challenger will be allowed to substitute their Pokémon. Now, choose your Pokémon!" The battle judge called out.

"Hope you're ready Justin. I see that this is your first gym battle. I'm about to show you the strength of a gym leader!" Harry announced, doing a Pirouette and then pointing at Justin in an artistic pose.

"You too Harry! Don't be too upset when I win!"

"Well, someone is confident. Go, Ralts!" Harry threw his Pokeball ever so gracefully. Out from the ball came a small white Pokémon with a beige round head with red tips on it.

"Wow, a Ralts!" Justin said joyfully surprised. He then got out his pokedex.

"_**Ralts, the feeling Pokémon. The horns on its head provide a strong power that enables it to sense people's emotions."**_

"This is so cool! Never battled a psychic type before! Ok, well, here's my choice." Justin said as he got a Pokeball from his belt. "Go, Torchic!"

Out came the Orange Chick Pokemon onto the field.

"Now that the Pokemon have been chosen, let the battle begin!" the Battle judge shouted.

"Now Torchic, start with peck attack!" Justin commanded. Torchic then started to charge towards Ralts with its beak glowing.

"Ralts, teleport," Harry called out calmly. The small Pokemon then disappeared from where it was. This caused Torchic to stop in its tracks, looking around to see where Ralts went.

"What? It disappeared!" Justin said, nervously looking around to find Ralts with Torchic was doing the same.

"Now, come out and use flash!" Harry called out! Ralts suddenly appeared right in front of Torchic and then created an extremely bright illumination. This caused Torchic and Justin to quickly close their eyes to avoid blindness.

"Follow up with confusion!" Harry commanded.

In the blinding light, a blue outline formed around Ralts. Torchic had a blue outline surround itself too. It then grimaced in pain as Ralts psychic powers were weakening it. Torchic was raised into the air right into the flash attack. The bright flash imploded and created a glittering light explosion. It caused Torchic, as well as sparkles of light, to fall to the field.

"Oh no, Torchic!" Justin called out.

"Wow that was really something. Ralts' attack was punishing, yet beautiful at the same time." Aly remarked from the stands.

"Torchic, are you ok?"

"Torchic!" Torchic chirped out as it shook off the effects from Ralts' attack.

"Nice! Now, let's show them your ember attack!" Justin commanded.

Torchic then shot balls of fire from its mouth towards Ralts. They made direct contact on Ralts, sending it flying backwards as it landed on its side.

"All right! Nice job Torchic!" Justin exclaimed.

"Torchic!" Torchic chirped happily as it looked back at Justin, smiling.

"This isn't over yet, my friend!" Harry said. Ralts quickly got back up.

"Let's finish this with a peck attack!" Justin commanded. Torchic charged right at Ralts with its beak lighting up.

"Double Team!" Harry commanded.

Ralts then formed a circle around Torchic with illusions of itself. Torchic's beak stopped glowing as it was confused where the real Ralts was.

"Now dazzle them with your Flash!" Harry commanded.

All the Ralts raised their hands to the sky, creating bright illuminations of light above Torchic. The light was so great that Justin and Torchic closed their eyes shut. The light began to dim a little and rose towards the ceiling. Justin and Torchic opened their eyes now that the sight was more bearable. As they looked on, Ralts was nowhere to be found.

"Tor?" Torchic chirped in confusion.

"Wow, they disappeared, talk about sick!" Justin remarked.

"JUSTIN! FOCUS!" Aly shouted from the stands. Justin realized he was admiring his opponent's Pokemon again and shifted focus back to the battle and looked for Ralts

"For our final act! Use Confusion!" Harry commanded, pointing towards the illumination in the air.

Justin and Torchic looked up at the bright circle of light. There was a small shadow that appeared to be Ralts floating in the air. A blue outline formed around itself, which then made one appear around Torchic as well. Torchic grimaced as it felt the pain of the confusion attack. Ralts then raised its arm, which caused Torchic to rise off the ground. Ralts then whipped its arm to the left, sending Torchic into that direction and making it collide with the wall. This caused a smoke cloud to cover the air where Torchic was.

"Oh no Torchic!" Justin called out.

Once the cloud disappeared, Torchic re-appeared. It was lying on the ground with swirls on its eyes.

"Torchic is unable to battle. This means that Ralts is the winner!" The battle judged called out.

"Torchic!" Justin said as he ran towards the worn out chick Pokémon. He kneeled down and lifted Torchic into his arms.

"Torchic, are you okay?" Justin asked softly.

"Tor- chic," Torchic replied sadly, its eyes returning to normal.

"I'm sorry Torchic. I should have concentrated more to look for Ralts. You were great. Take a nice rest." Justin said, grabbing its Pokeball from his belt and returning it. He then looked on at Ralts and Harry. Ralts floated back down to the ground, sparkling from the combination of flash and confusion.

* * *

"Wow that was a tough battle for Justin. I wonder what he's going to do next." Aly said on the sidelines.

"Harry seems different from the other trainers I've seen battle."

"That's because Harry use to be a Pokémon Co-ordinator." Tara explained.

"Pokémon Co-ordinator?"

"Yeah. It's someone who competes in Pokémon Contests. A Pokémon Contest is where coordinators try to show off how beautiful and skilled a Pokémon can be. Appearance, attack combinations and special talents are examples of what to focus on in a contest."

"Wow, that's really neat. So, does that mean Ralts was used in contests way back?" Aly asked.

"No. Most of the Pokémon he used during his time as a coordinator are at his parent's house, where they are taken care of. This Ralts used now is pretty new. Harry caught it a while ago and has been working with it since."

"Wow that's awesome. I'd love to go see Harry in a contest. Or even one without him."

"Well, in this battle, you're getting a close glimpse of one. Remember, Harry use to be a Pokémon Coordinator. His battle style is still with the elegance and beauty he used back during contests." Tara explained.

"Oh, that's why all his moves are so flashy..."

* * *

"Justin that was a good battle you put up with Torchic. But to win, you'll have to show me more. This is good experience for you, battling a gym leader. Hope you didn't plan on making it short." Harry announced.

"I'm just getting started Harry!" Justin said. _"I guess I should focus more. Well, live and learn. Wow...Gym leaders are incredible. No wonder those people back at the Pokemon Centre had a hard time with him."_

He then looked down at Eevee, who then looked back at him.

"Are you ready Eevee?" Justin asked.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out nodding.

"All right, let's go!" Justin said. Eevee then ran onto the battlefield.

"Now that the challenger has chosen his 2nd Pokémon, the battle may now resume!" the battle judge called out.

"Ralts, opening act! Use Confusion!" Harry commanded. Ralts started to glow and formed a blue outline around itself. The blue outline formed around Eevee, who started to feel its energy being drained.

"Quick Eevee, use sand attack!" Justin commanded. Eevee mustered the power to use its paws and swiped some dirt from the battlefield right at Ralts. It made contact with the Pokémon's eyes, causing its confusion to stop in order to rub its eyes to get the sand out.

"Now Eevee, use quick attack!" Justin commanded. Eevee then charged at Ralts with a burst of speed. It made full contact with Ralts, causing it to be sent flying backwards.

"Ralts, quick, use confusion!" Harry commanded.

Ralts fell towards the ground, but regained its composure and started to use its confusion attack on Eevee.

"Eevee, use double team!" Justin commanded.

Eevee then formed about 10 illusions of itself. Ralts became confused as where the real one was. It landed on the ground, but stopped readying its confusion attack.

"Oh no, I can't tell which is the real one!" Harry said.

"Now, use Tackle!" Justin commanded.

The Eevees then started to charge towards Ralts. Just before contact, all the Eevee mirages disappeared. The real Eevee was right in front of Ralts and slammed hard into Ralts. Ralts was sent flying backwards before landing on its back.

"Finish it up with Tackle Eevee!" Justin commanded.

Eevee charged right at Ralts at good speed.

"Ralts, Teleport!" Harry commanded.

Ralts got ready to teleport, but it was very weak that the teleport delayed and wasn't quick enough to avoid Eevee's tackle. Ralts was send backwards and landed on its back, unable to battle anymore.

"Ralts is unable to battle! This round goes to Eevee!" the battle judge called out.

"Nice work Eevee! Keep it up!" Justin called out to Eevee.

"Ee-vee!" Eevee cried out happily, looking back at Justin and smiling.

* * *

"Wow that was so awesome! They took out Ralts pretty quickly." Aly said.

"Yeah, that was quite impressive. But remember, Ralts was already tired from the previous battle with Torchic. Up against Harry's next Pokémon, that will be Justin's true test." Tara said.

"Why's that?"

"This next Pokemon Harry has, was with him during his contest days."

* * *

"Well done Justin. You rebounded very well. I must say your battling style shows your passion for Pokemon and battling." Harry said calmly.

"Thanks Harry!" Justin exclaimed.

"Now, let's see how you do against this Pokemon!" Harry shouted, as he grabbed his Pokeball from his belt and raised it up in the air.

Justin took note of that Pokeball. It wasn't the red and white standard one he usually sees.

"Go, Kadabra!" Harry called out, as he threw the Pokeball towards the battle arena. The Pokeball opened up, creating a light to release the enclosed Pokeball. What also happened was golden stars came out of the ball and danced majestically around the Pokeball and illuminated Pokemon. Out came a yellow Pokemon with 2 spoons in its hands. The stars burst and created a sparkle around Kadabra, showing off its beauty.

"AWESOME! A Kadabra!" Justin squealed. He took out his Pokedex to view more information on it.

"_**Kadabra, the psi Pokemon. If it uses its abilities, it emits special alpha waves that cause machines to malfunction." **_

"Justin, this is the true test of your skills. This Kadabra I had with me when I was like you on a journey. I can tell you this; it won't be an easy fight." Harry said.

"I'm ready for the challenge Harry! Bring it on!" Justin said. "Eevee, let's start with a tackle!"

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out. It started to run and charged right at Kadabra.

"Use Reflect," Harry commanded calmly. Kadabra then surrounded itself in a box made of clear walls. Eevee collided with the walls and bounced backwards in pain.

"Use confusion on the reflect walls!"

"Kadabra!" Kadabra cried out as its eyes started to glow. The reflect walls had a blue aura around it as it started to tremble. Moments later, the walls broke into sharp glass shards and were sent towards Eevee.

"Eevee! Dodge that!" Justin commanded. Eevee jumped out of the way to avoid the glass shards being shot its way.

"Now use Psybeam!" Harry called out.

"Kadabra!" Kadabra cried out, as it shot a colourful beam of psychic energy from its spoons towards Eevee, who wasn't ready for the attack after evading the reflect shards. It hit Eevee head on, sending it flying backwards in front of Justin.

"Eevee! You okay?" Justin asked.

Eevee got up quickly and nodded its head.

"That attack was amazing! Now it's our turn to counter, let's use sand attack!"

"Eevee!" Eevee cried out as it charged towards Kadabra. On its way, Eevee used its paw to sweep the floor and shoot sand at Kadabra. The sand hit Kadabra in the face, causing it to squint and raise its hand over its face.

"Now, quick attack!" Justin commanded.

Eevee then charged at Kadabra at a fast speed. It made contact with Kadabra, shifting it backwards a bit and causing the Pokemon to grimace from the pain. Kadabra shook it off quickly and wiped its eyes to see clearly again.

"Eevee, let's do that again. Use sand attack!" Justin commanded.

"Ee-vee!" Eevee cried out as it charged at Kadabra again. It got ready to sweep sand at Kadabra's face.

"Hmm, not this time. Kadabra, use confusion!" Harry commanded.

"Da-bra!" Kadabra cried out as its eyes glowed and a blue aura surrounded it. Eevee swept the sand right at Kadabra. The sand however didn't hit Kadabra. It started to swirl around Kadabra, creating a mini sand tornado. The winds caused Eevee to stop in its tracks and try to hang tight to the ground. Kadabra then floated to the top of the tornado.

"Now use Psybeam!" Harry commanded.

Kadabra shot a beam of psychic energy towards Eevee. It hit Eevee and caused a mini smoke explosion. Eevee flew out of the smoke and landed on its back.

"Eevee no!" Justin called out.

Eevee slowly started to get up. It was really worn out now. The sand tornado subsided and Kadabra floated back onto the ground. There were sparkles around Kadabra caused by the left over psychic energy in the air.

"Kadabra, time to wrap this up. Use Psybeam!" Harry commanded.

"Ka-da-brah!" Kadabra cried out as it unleashed another psybeam towards Eevee. The beam got closer and closer to Eevee, but the small brown Pokemon didn't move, looking like it was ready to embrace the hit. Its eyes then slowly closed.

"EEVEE!" Justin called out in desperate concern.

Eevee's eyes shot back open. It jumped up into the air to dodge the psybeam. It then raised one of its paws in the air and a dark ball of energy started to form.

Justin gasped. "Whoa. No way!"

"What's this?!" Harry said in disbelief.

Eevee finished charging up its shadow ball on its paw. It then moved its arm towards Kadabra, which released the shadow ball as well. It hit Kadabra straight on, causing a mini smoke explosion and Kadabra to cry in pain. It fell backwards onto its back.

"That was Shadow Ball! A ghost type move super effective against Psychic types!" Justin exclaimed.

Eevee then landed back on the ground.

"Eevee, that was incredible! Way to learn shadow ball in the nick of time!" Justin praised his Pokemon.

"Puh-Phvy!" Eevee cried out and nodded while still facing the opposition.

Kadabra slowly got back up.

"This isn't good. We better finish this up fast. All right Kadabra! Use Psybeam!" Harry commanded.

"Kadabra!" Kadabra said, as it shot its psybeam from its spoons in the direction of Eevee.

"Eevee, use shadow ball!" Justin commanded.

Eevee then charged up a shadow ball and unleashed it towards the psybeam. The 2 attacks collided in the middle and created a smoke explosion. Harry braced himself for the smoke by raising his arms up to protect his face. As it was subsiding, he put down his arms to find the Pokemon.

"Eevee, use quick attack!" Justin commanded.

This caught Harry off guard since he was still recovering from the smoke explosion. Eevee appeared from the smoke and hit Kadabra with a powerful quick attack. It sent Kadabra flying into the air.

"Now, finish it with Shadow Ball!" Justin commanded.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out as it shot a shadow ball at the mid-air Kadabra. It caused another min smoke explosion to form around the airborne Pokemon. A few moments after, Kadabra fell from the smoke onto the ground.

"Kadabra is unable to battle! Eevee wins! Which means the victor of this gym battle goes to Justin of Revo Town!" the battle judge announced.

"WE DID IT! WE DID IT! WE DID IT!" Justin cheered out loud as he jumped for joy.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out happily as it ran back towards Justin before jumping into his arms. Justin embraced Eevee and hugged it tight. Justin lifted his Pokémon up to shoulder level.

"You were amazing Eevee! The way you learned shadow ball midway through that battle was incredible!" Justin said proudly.

"Ee-vee, Ee!" Eevee said happily, smiling.

"They won! This is so awesome!" Aly said with her hands clasped together.

"Hey, your friend was pretty good out there. He has a bright future ahead of himself," Tara said.

Harry walked towards Kadabra on the battlefield before kneeling besides the yellow psychic Pokemon. "Kadabra, are you all right?" he asked it.

"Da-brah," Kadabra said softly.

"You were marvelous Kadabra. Well done," Harry added as he returned the psychic Pokemon back to its Pokeball. He then got up and walked towards Justin and Eevee.

"Justin, that was a splendid battle! I'm impressed that your Eevee learned that move during our battle. What really stood out to me though was your passion and determination. You enjoy Pokemon battles more that any challenger I've ever faced. Keep it up and you'll go far! "

"Thanks for your kind words!" Justin remarked brightly.

". It is with great pleasure that I give you this Amethyst badge." Harry said as he extended his hand that held a purple round badge.

"Thanks Harry!" Justin said as he received it from Harry's hand. Aly and Tara then joined in on the group.

"Hey Justin, awesome job out there!" Aly said, raising her hand for a high five from him.

"Thanks Aly!" Justin said back, as he gave her a high-five.

"By the way Harry, your battling style and Pokemon were just gorgeous. I had no idea you were a coordinator.." Aly remarked.

"Why thank you Aly. I'm glad you enjoyed that." Harry said.

"Watching your battle made me all excited. Your battling style made it beautiful too. Hey, maybe I'll become a coordinator too!"

"Really?" Justin asked in shock. "

"Well, maybe, I don't know...I guess there are gym battles too...and..."

"Aly, there are many different goals that people have. Trainers, Coordinators, Breeders, etc. The world is a big place out there. Be open when choosing your path! Take a look at everything. When the time is right, you'll know what you want to do." Harry explained.

Justin looked up to try and understand what Harry said. "...Uh yeah, what he said!"

"Right!" Aly smiled.

* * *

Justin, Aly, Harry and Tara stood outside of the gym. The sun was just setting. Eevee was on Justin's shoulder while Squirtle was carried in Aly's arms.

"Well Justin, the next gym for you will be Ruby City. All you have to do is take Route 402." Harry said.

"Thanks Harry," Justin said.

"And Aly, there's a Pokemon contest happening in Limestone Village. It's just west of here, right along Route 402. That's your chance to actually see a real live contest." Tara explained to Aly.

"That's great! I definitely check it out!" Aly said.

"One more thing for you, Justin." Harry said. He then reached into his pockets and brought out something in his hands.

"This is for you Justin. It's a badge case where you can put all your badges you win in here."

Wow, thanks Harry!" Justin said as he took the gift from his hands.

"And for you Aly. One last piece of advice. It's pretty simple, but helpful: 'If you don't try, you'll never know'."

Aly looked at him and nodded. "Got it!"

"Best of luck on both of your journeys!" Harry remarked

"Good luck you two!" Tara said.

"Thanks! Goodbye!" Justin and Aly said as they started to walk away in the other direction.

* * *

Justin and Aly continued to walk towards the end of Amethyst City and the entrance to Route 402

"Wow, my first badge!" Justin said as he stared at his badge case containing the Amethyst badge. "Isn't it great Eevee?" he asked it.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out, nodding and smiling.

"I'm very happy for you Justin," Aly said softly.

"Thanks Aly. But we can't rest. I've got another gym battle at Ruby City," Justin replied. "But first, it's off to the Town of Jade for that Pokémon Contest!"

"Yeah, can't wait for that!" Aly said.

"So, did you get any of that advice Harry gave you? I'm a little lost..." Justin asked. Aly sighed at her friend's naivety.

"You'll see..." Aly winked. Justin looked confused, but quickly brushed it off as the 2 trainers set off for Route 402.

_**AN: Hope the battle was clear to understand. As usual, feedback is appreciated.**_


	8. Chapter 8 - The Fire Protector

**Chapter 8: The Fire Protector**

The sun shined down hard on Justin and Aly. It was very hot out with not that much of a breeze. The 2 were taking a lunch break on their journey to Limestone Village off route. The area was more less the same as the previous routes with a dirt path, grassy fields all around with the occasional rock formation along the path. Eevee, Squirtle, Torchic and Mudkip were all out of their Pokeballs eating Pokémon food. Justin was lying on the ground with his arms and legs spread out. The sleeves of his t-shirt and his pants were rolled up to mitigate overheating. Aly wafted her hand at her face as a fan to try and cool off.

"Keep your eyes closed. I'm going to find a place to change into something else." Aly said.

"Gotcha..." Justin moaned as he covered his face with his hand.

Aly picked up her bag and walked away. After searching around the area, she found a large enough tree to fully hide her. Aly made her way behind the tree and opened her bag for that bathing suit top. Just as she tied the back string of her swim top, the heat intensified even more.

"This is strange. How can it just get hotter within a few seconds?" Aly remarked. She then heard something behind her. As she looked backwards, there were a bunch of grass Pokémon standing in a circle. They appeared to be Nuzleaf, Oddish, Sunflora and Bellsprout.

"Hey, look at all the Grass Pokémon!" Aly exclaimed. She picked up her bag, and walked towards them. This startled all the grass Pokemon. The Oddish and Nuzleaf hid behind the Sunflora and Bellsprout. All of them had frightened looks on their faces.

"Oh wait...don't worry. I'm not here to cause trouble," Aly said as she raised her hand to calm the scared Pokemon. All of a sudden, something was dashing towards her. Before Aly got a chance to see what it was, it ran right into her, knocking her backwards.

"Hey! What was that?" Aly asked. She then saw it right in front of her. It was a light brown Pokemon with about 6 tails.

"It's a Vulpix!" She quickly got out her Pokedex.

"_**Vulpix, the Fox Pokemon. As it gains power, its single white tail gains colour and split into 6. It's quite warm and cuddly."**_

Vulpix stood right in front of all the grass Pokemon and looked really angry.

"Vul!" Vulpix growled as it unleashed a flamethrower. She quickly moved to the right to avoid the attack. Aly stood back up and went from confusion to a frightened state.

"Wha-wait! I'm not here to cause trouble!"

Vulpix didn't seem to listen. It maintained its fighting stance position in front of the Grass Pokemon.

"I think I better leave." Aly said. She quickly turned around and ran away. Vulpix then stood up straight and looked back at the Grass Pokemon. They all gathered around the fox Pokemon and cheered for it like it was some kind of hero.

* * *

Justin and all of the Pokemon lay under a tree in the shade. It didn't feel as hot, but didn't feel cooler either.

"Wait a minute. How come Aly hasn't come back yet? It's been like over 15 minutes." Justin exclaimed. "I think we all better got look for her."

They all nodded, packed up and started to search in the direction Aly went. Just about a few meters away, Justin and the Pokemon found Aly running their way.

"Aly!" Justin called out to her. Aly refocused on what was in front of her and found Justin. She started to make her way towards him. Justin however stood still, focused on Aly in her swim top.

"_Wow...I never realized how cute she looks..." _He thought to himself, staring at her in awe and admiration. Eevee looked up at him and recognized what its trainer was thinking. It jumped up and tackled Justin on the leg. Justin moved back a bit from the attack and looked down at his Pokemon. Eevee looked away with a sassy expression.

"Hey! What?!" Justin complained, but looked back up to see Aly right in front of him.

"What's wrong?" Aly asked innocently.

"Uhhh...nothing," Justin laughed awkwardly looking away and turning red. He quickly shook it off and looked back at her. "Anyways, where were you Aly? You were gone for like 15 minutes!"

"The weirdest thing happened to me. I found a tree to go behind and change when suddenly, I saw all these Grass Pokemon gathered around together in some sort of circle. I went to go check it out, when all of a sudden a Vulpix came out of nowhere and attacked me. It must have thought I was going to hurt them. After that, I panicked and ran away from there."

"Wow, sounds like an adventure and a half. I'm glad you're ok though."

"Yeah, me too. Anyways, we should get going. There's a Pokémon Centre down the path ahead, so we can go there and get out of this heat."

"True that. Let's go."

Justin recalled Torchic and Mudkip back into their Pokeballs while Eevee jumped back onto his shoulder. Squritle jumped back into the arms of Aly. They continued walking down Route 402 until they came across the Pokemon Centre. Justin walked straight towards Nurse Joy while Aly went to the restroom to change. She quickly got back into her white and green sleeveless top and joined Justin.

"Hey Nurse Joy!" Justin and Aly both said.

"Why hello there, and welcome to the Pokemon Centre." Nurse Joy said in a friendly manner. Just then, a boy who was around the same age as Justin and Aly, presumably a Pokémon trainer, ran into the Pokemon Centre and stopped right in the middle of the front hall.

"Hey everybody! There's a whole bunch of Grass Pokemon right outside the Centre. Come check it out!" He shouted out. The few trainers in the centre got up and ran outside to see for themselves.

"Hey, didn't you see a group of Grass Pokemon before?" Justin asked Aly.

"You're right! I wonder if it's the same group." Aly said back.

"Let's check it out then." Both trainers made their way out through the doors and found a small crowd observing the grass Pokemon.

"Yep, it's them." Aly said. Just then, the sunlight and heat outside intensified making everyone cringe and shade their eyes.

"How can the sun get that much stronger so quickly?!" Justin asked covering his eyes with his hands.

"It's because of that." Aly pointed forward. Justin moved his hands to see a brownish red fox Pokemon in front of all the Grass Pokemon.

"A Vulpix!" Justin said excitedly. "So cool! I got to check it out." He then started to run towards it.

"Wait Justin, come back!" Aly cried out to warn him. Just as Justin got closer to Vulpix, it spotted him and released a flamethrower in his direction. Justin ducked and just barely dodged the attack.

"What the heck was that for?!" Justin barked out as he got back up.

"Do you even listen?" Aly said as she caught up to him. Vulpix then got into a battle position. Eevee and Squirtle got in front of their trainers in a battle stance as well. Just then, Nurse Joy intervened.

"Wait! Don't attack!" Nurse Joy called out as she ran towards Justin and Aly. Justin and Aly looked behind them to see her catch up to them.

"Don't fight. Please!" Nurse Joy pleaded. She then turned to Vulpix.

"Please Vulpix, these people mean no harm. The Pokemon are safe."

Vulpix then arose from its stance, understanding what Nurse Joy said. Eevee and Squirtle also stood back up front, looking all confused.

"You see, this Vulpix appeared in this area awhile ago from the direction of Ruby City. It quickly made its home here in the forest and now serves the protector of all the Grass Pokemon," Nurse Joy explained.

"Protector from what?" Aly asked.

"From a Fearow that lives in the forest as well. It's a troublemaker always causing trouble for the Grass Pokemon that live there. Whether it be stealing their food or ruining their homes. And now, all the Grass Pokemon are terrified of this Fearow. But, with the emergence of Vulpix, it's been able to hold off the Fearow for quite some time now." Nurse Joy further explained. She turned to Vulpix.

"Vulpix, I promise you, these trainers mean no harm and only want to be your friend." Vulpix walked up to Justin and Aly. Once it deemed them innocent, it bowed its head down.

"It's ok Vulpix, I understand. It's pretty cool what you're doing though! Props to you!" Justin said. He kneeled down at Vulpix's level. "By the way, my name is Justin Riser! It's nice to meet you!"

"My name is Aly. I know we met earlier in the forest when you attacked me. But, it's ok, I know what you were doing. I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble." Aly said sincerely. Vulpix then walked up to Aly and smiled.

"Vulpix!" Vulpix said, as it started to nuzzle its head against Aly's leg.

"It seems that Vulpix has taken a liking to you," Nurse Joy remarked.

"I guess so…heh" Aly said, laughed lightly. All the grass Pokemon then walked up to the 2 trainers in a friendlier mood. Suddenly, a big wind gust blew by from the north. The leaves from various trees and the ground were carried into the air and whirled around violently. It was pretty heavy as people and Pokemon braced themselves to block the wind. Everyone looked up to see what was causing such a storm. The silhouette of a giant bird flew right over the crowd and towards the woods. After it passed, so did the wind storm.

"Whoa, what was that all about?!" Aly remarked. After saying that, she turned her attention to Vulpix, who was growling heatedly with an angry face.

"That must be the Fearow that is causing everyone havoc here." She turned to look at the grass Pokemon and saw them cowering in fear. Just then, Vulpix charged into the woods in the direction that Fearow went.

"We should follow, it may need our help." Justin remarked.

"But, that might be dangerous…" Aly nervously said.

"C'mon Aly! Vulpix might need our help. So let's go!" Justin remarked.

"…Yeah, I guess you're right." With that, they both ran into the woods. Eevee and Squirtle followed in as well.

Justin's speed was much faster than Aly's, but the female trainer was able to still keep an eye on her male counterpart. The 2 trainers made their way past trees, long grass and bushes before exiting out of the forest and near a cliff. In front of them they found Vulpix looking up and a circling Fearow in the air. A major battle was about to ensue.

"I hope Vulpix will be all right," Aly said worriedly.

"Fearow!" Fearow cried out as it dashed towards Vulpix.

"Vul!" Vulpix cried as it shot a flamethrower at the incoming bird Pokemon. Fearow dodged the attack by moving to the side. It gained a lot of speed until it eventually ran into Vulpix, knocking it to the side. Vulpix then shot out another flamethrower attack at Fearow. Fearow swiftly flew out of the way and began to charge at Vulpix again. Vulpix used its smokescreen attack and created a cloud of black smoke to cover it up. Fearow quickly stopped in front of the cloud and looked around for Vulpix. Vulpix then jumped out of the smoke cloud and released a flamethrower attack right at the bird Pokemon. It made contact and sent Fearow back into the air.

"Wow, that Vulpix is amazing!" Aly remarked.

Fearow cried out angrily as it began to charge up a greenish beam of energy from its mouth. Once charged, it released a Hyper Beam attack right at Vulpix. It made contact and sent it flying backwards towards the end of the cliff. Fearow then dashed downwards toward Vulpix with its beak glowing to use a Drill Peck attack.

"_I gotta help it...I gotta protect it...Please, don't act up now..." _Aly thought. She cringed for a second before running towards Vulpix.

"Aly, wait!" Justin said as he saw her running into the battle. Fearow continued its descent towards Vulpix. Its beak collided with Vulpix, which sent it into the air and towards the edge of the cliff.

"Vulpix!" Aly shouted as she ran towards the Pokemon. Just before Vulpix went over the cliff, Aly caught Vulpix in her arms and landed just before going over the edge. She then looked down at Vulpix, who was badly injured. "Are you okay Vulpix?"

"Vul," Vulpix cried weakly.

"Squirtle! Use water gun at Fearow!" Aly commanded. Squirtle ran into the battle area and shot out a stream of water at Fearow. The attack hit Fearow, but it was able to knock it away with one of its wings.

Fearow cried out angrily and shot out a hyper beam attack towards Squirtle. Squirtle dodged it by running out of the way.

"Squirtle, Rapid Spin!" Aly commanded. Squirtle slipped into its shell as it spun around very fast and charged towards Fearow. Fearow's beak lit up and it dashed down at Squirtle with a Drill Peck attack. They both collided with each other, but Squirtle was knocked towards the edge of the cliff near Aly and Vulpix.

"Oh no, Squirtle!" Aly said to Squirtle. Squirtle slowly got up, but struggled to keep its balance. It then fell backwards where Aly caught it with one of her arms.

"Fearow!" Fearow cried out as it then dashed towards Aly and the Pokemon.

"Aly, get out of the way!" Justin shouted as he ran towards them.

It was too late. Fearow was just about to ram into Aly. She quickly ducked out and barely dodged the attack. However, a wind gust carried Aly up with it and over the cliff.

"Aly, NO!"

Aly quickly used one of her arms to grab the edge of the cliff and hold on. Vulpix was in her other arm. Squirtle caught onto her leg and held on.

"Squirtle, hang on tight!" Aly called out looking down at Squirtle.

"Don't worry Vulpix, I got you." She said to Vulpix, who was very scared with its eyes clenched tight. Aly's heart was racing so fast while she held onto the edge for her life. Her body suddenly began to feel weak as her grip was loosening. Her energy and strength started to rapidly drain from her body.

"_No...please, not now..." _Aly thought as she began struggling to hold onto the edge and Vulpix.

"I got to help her," Justin said. He grabbed 2 Pokeballs from his belt and threw them to release his Pokemon. Out came Torchic and Mudkip right beside Eevee.

"Eevee, Torchic, Mudkip, I need you to battle Fearow and distract it. Aly is in trouble and I have to help her. Can you all help me out?"

All the Pokemon nodded. They faced the giant bird Pokemon and charged in for attack. Torchic fired an ember attack, Mudkip released a water gun attack and Eevee shot out a shadow ball attack. The attacks hit Fearow, causing a smoke explosion on the impact. While the battle ensued, Justin ran over to the cliff to save Aly. He approached the edge and kneeled down to extend his hand towards her.

"Aly! Don't worry, I got you!" Justin shouted out to his friend.

"Justin..." Aly cried out. Justin then reached over the cliff and grabbed onto Aly's arm with both of his hands. He clenched hard and used all of his strength in attempt of pulling her up.

"I'll get you up safe and sound!" Justin said.

He pulled and pulled as hard as he could. Justin was then able to slowly move her up the cliff until her whole body rested on the top. Justin landed backwards on his back from the backward force of his pull.

"Thank you...for saving me..." Aly said weakly.

"Aw, no problem!" Justin smiled as he sat back up. "You would have done...whoa Aly!"

Aly slowly collapsed to the ground as Justin caught her in his arms. Her face was a little red while her skin felt hot.

"That really took it out of you eh?"

"Don't worry...I'll be fine...How are you, Vulpix? Squirtle?" She asked her Pokemon.

"Squirtle Squirt," Squirtle cried out.

"Vul-" Vulpix weakly cried out.

"That's good..." Aly looked up to see Fearow battling Justin's Eevee, Torchic and Mudkip. Fearow was just too much for all 3 Pokemon, as their attacks weren't doing that much to it. Fearow shot out a hyper beam that hit Torchic, causing it to fly backwards and collide hard onto a tree.

"Torchic, no!" Justin cried out. The chick Pokemon landed on the ground with swirls on its eyes.

"Mud-kip!" Mudkip cried out to Torchic. It then turned to face Fearow and released a Water Gun attack at it. Fearow got hit and was pushed back a bit in the air, but easily shook it off and regained its focus. Fearow descended towards Mudkip at a high speed with its beak glowing for a Drill Peck attack. Mudkip started to run the other way and to dodge the attack. However, Fearow was just too fast and sent Mudkip flying towards the same tree Torchic hit.

"Grr...Now Mudkip is down," Justin remarked. Eevee ran towards his 2 Pokemon partners to see how they were. Torchic and Mudkip opened their eyes and nodded, assuring Eevee they'd be ok. Eevee turned around and charged towards Fearow.

"C'mon pal, I know you can do it!" Justin said. Just then, Justin and Aly caught something in their sight. All the grass Pokemon were watching the battle from behind a bush.

"Hey, there's all the grass Pokemon from before," Justin exclaimed. They both ran towards the Grass Pokemon in the bushes. The Pokemon were holding on to each other, scared of the giant Fearow.

"I have an idea...let's go to the Grass Pokemon..." Aly suggested. She tried to get up on her own, but fell back down.

"You're too tired Aly, let me help you." Justin said. He put Aly's arm around his neck and helped her stand up. She still held Vulpix in her other arm while Squirtle walked beside her. They walked around Eevee and Fearow's battle and made their way to the Grass Pokemon behind the bushes.

"Hey guys...we need your help to fight the Fearow," Aly said towards the Pokemon. "If we don't stop this Fearow…it'll keep terrorizing this forest for a long time."

The Grass Pokemon were too scared to listen.

"Take a look at Vulpix." Aly said, looking at the injured Pokemon in her arm. "It got hurt from battling Fearow alone…Alone we weren't able to beat it. But…if you all work together, it might be enough."

After than riveting speech, the Grass Pokémon then looked up to Aly. They all had a determined look on their faces, ready to help their injured comrade. Back on the battlefield, Eevee got knocked out by Fearow's Hyper Beam and landed near the tree where Mudkip and Torchic were resting.

"Eevee no!" Justin shouted. He settled Aly down on the ground and ran to his 3 fallen Pokemon.

"You guys were great. Torchic and Mudkip return," Justin said as he raised Torchic and Mudkip's Pokeballs to return them. He then scooped Eevee into his arms to comfort the Pokemon.

"All right guys, let's help Justin out!" Aly shouted with a little more energy. The Grass Pokemon ran out of the bushes and onto the battle ground where Fearow was. They then used a variety of attacks targeted towards Fearow. The Bellsprout and Nuzleaf used their bullet seed attack, while the Oddish and Sunflora used Razor Leaf attacks. They collided with Fearow, causing a lot of damage to the Pokemon bully.

"Fearow!" Fearow cried out in pain. It then started to descend and use a Drill Peck attack towards the Grass Pokemon. However, they all used their attacks of bullet seed and razor leaf on Fearow. This caused a smoke explosion to occur upon impact of the Bird Pokemon. Fearow flew backwards in the air a bit and cringe in pain. Vulpix then jumped out of Aly's arms and landed in front of the Grass Pokemon.

"Vulpix!" Aly called out. It released a powerful flamethrower attack right at Fearow, causing a big smoke explosion when it landed. Fearow then started to cry in fear and fly away from the forest area.

"You guys all did it!" Aly cheered.

The Grass Pokemon all cheered together, dancing and celebrating their big accomplishment. Just then, Vulpix and Aly dropped to the ground, completely wiped out.

"Aly! Vulpix!" Justin called out. He ran towards his friend and lifted her into his arms. Eevee, Squirtle and all the Grass Pokemon surrounded her to watch on. Aly started to regain consciousness.

"I'm just a little tired…I'll be fine." Aly smiled. "We need to go back to the Pokemon Centre and get Vulpix some help."

* * *

Justin and the Grass Pokemon looked on in the operating room with Nurse Joy and Chansey. People in the treatment room included Vulpix, Eevee, Mudkip, Torchic and Aly.

"I sure hope everyone is going to be all right," Justin said. Just then, the operating room light above the door lit off. They walked into the room to see Nurse Joy.

"It looks like all the Pokemon here will be just fine. They need is some rest now." Nurse Joy exclaimed. "Oh, and you're friend Aly's fever has settled down too. She'll be back to normal soon."

"That's wonderful news Nurse Joy, thank you!" Justin said happily.

All the Grass Pokemon cheered upon hearing the news. Justin walked over to his 3 Pokemon in their resting beds. Eevee, Torchic and Mudkip opened their eyes and smiled when they saw Justin.

"I'm so glad you guys are going to be ok. Eevee, Torchic, Mudkip, you were all great!" Justin said. All his Pokemon cried out happily. Torchic and Mudkip then jumped towards Justin who caught them with one in each arm. Eevee then jumped onto his shoulder where they all shared a good laugh together. He then made his way to Aly, who was lying in a bed with Vulpix in her arms.

"How are you Aly?" Justin asked.

"Much better now, thanks." Aly responded happily.

"Good, I was getting worried...that must have been a lot of work on you. The cliff incident and everything."

"Um, yeah...that's it." Aly laughed half-heartedly before going into her thoughts.

"_Well, still seems like I'm vulnerable in extreme situations. At least I had Justin to help me this time. Should I tell him? …No, who knows what his reaction will be."_

"Aly?" Justin said.

"Oh! Sorry, I was just thinking about everything that's gone on today!" Aly said, trying to push away the subject. She then turned her attention over to Vulpix. "Vulpix, how are you?"

"Vulpix!" Vulpix said with a smile on its face. Aly then placed her hand on its face and massaged it.

"You were awesome out there Vulpix." Aly said. The Grass Pokemon then jumped onto all the empty beds to see their friend and cheered. Vulpix smiled at all of them. Justin and his Pokemon looked on as well, who couldn't help themselves but smile as well.

* * *

"Well, I guess we should be heading off now," Justin said to Nurse Joy. They were outside the Pokemon Centre with Justin and Aly with Eevee and Squirtle on one side and Nurse Joy, Vulpix and the grass Pokemon on the other.

"Thank you for all you've done. That Fearow probably won't be coming back here to cause trouble anymore." Nurse Joy explained.

"Aw, it was nothing. But, it was really Vulpix and the Grass Pokemon who deserve most of the credit." Aly remarked.

"Well, good luck on your journey and hope you guys come back to visit," Nurse Joy said.

"We will! And Vulpix..." Aly said. She then kneeled down towards Vulpix. It then looked up at her. "You stay safe. You're a great Pokemon and great things are bound to happen for you."

"Vul-, "Vulpix said sadly at the fact Aly was leaving.

"Ok, see ya Nurse Joy!" Justin said. They waved, turned around and started to walk the other way as Vulpix looked on sadly. Just then, it started to run in the direction that Justin and Aly were going. Aly heard a noise coming their way and looked behind her. Vulpix caught up to her and started to snuggle against her leg.

"Vulpix?" Aly said confusedly.

"It looks like Vulpix wants to come along with you," Nurse Joy exclaimed as she walked towards them.

"Remember Aly, you were the one that saved it from falling over the cliff, provided it care when it was injured, and brought it to the Pokemon Centre." Justin explained.

Aly looked down at Vulpix, seeing how it was so happy right next to her. Her mind was then made up.

"Vulpix, you want to come along with me?" Aly asked.

"Vulpix!" Vulpix cried out, nodding its head.

"All right! But, first I think we should have a battle. What do you say?" Aly exclaimed. Vulpix nodded and then ran a good distance away from Aly. It stopped to turn and face Aly.

"All right. Squirtle, are you ready?" Aly asked her small turtle Pokemon. Squirtle nodded and jumped onto the ground.

"_This time I'll get it done. It shouldn't hit me now, right? No, it won't!" _She thought to herself.

"Let's go, Squirtle use tackle attack!" Aly commanded. Squirtle then started to run and charge right at Vulpix. Vulpix shot out a smokescreen attack in order to shroud its self with black smoke. This caused Squirtle to stop in its tracks.

"Where did Vulpix go?" Aly cried out.

All of a sudden, a flamethrower appeared out of nowhere and hit Squirtle. Squirtle felt some damage, but was able to shake it off. The smokescreen was still in effect.

"What should I do?" Aly said to herself. Just then, an idea popped into her head.

"Squirtle, use rapid spin to clear the smoke!" Ay commanded. Squirtle popped back into its shell and started to spin very fast. This blew away all the smoke, leaving a clear view of Vulpix in front of them.

"Now Squirtle, use water gun!" Aly commanded.

Squirtle released a fast stream of water from its mouth as it made contact with Vulpix. This caused Vulpix to be sent flying backwards, landing hard on the ground.

"Way to go Squirtle!" Aly said. Vulpix was able to get up though. It ran towards Squirtle at a high speed. Before Squirtle got to brace itself or dodge, Vulpix hit it, causing it to fall onto its shell. Vulpix then released another smokescreen attack to cloud Aly and Squirtle's vision.

"Squirtle, rapid spin!" Aly commanded. Squirtle then slipped back into its shell and spun rapidly to clear the smoke.

"Now, keep it going and charge at Vulpix!" It flew right in the direction of Vulpix. Vulpix then countered with a flamethrower attack.

"Use water gun while spinning!" Squirtle kept spinning in its shell, but shot out a water gun attack while at it. Water shot out of all the holes of the shell, forming a water spiral. It was able to douse the flamethrower attack and hit Vulpix. It was sent flying backwards onto the ground, where it stayed down.

"Aly, now is your chance!" Justin called out.

"Ok! Go Pokeball!" Aly shouted as she threw a Pokeball at Vulpix. It hit Vulpix and then opened up for the red light to surround it. The ball's light transported Vulpix into the Pokeball. It closed, landed on the floor and started to wiggle around. Everyone looked on, wondering if Aly would be successful. After a few shakes, the Pokeball stopped and made a "ding" noise.

"We...did it..." Aly said in disbelief. Soon, that disbelief turned into joy, as she then smiled and laughed.

"We did Squirtle!" Aly said happily.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out as it ran towards Aly for a hug. Aly hugged her blue turtle Pokemon and carried it in her arms. She then walked over to the Pokeball, picked it up and raised it into the air.

"I caught a Vulpix! I caught my first Pokemon!" Aly said happily to the sky.

"Congratulations Aly! You were awesome!" Justin said as he walked up to her.

"Thanks! I'm so happy!" Aly exclaimed.

"Now make sure you take good care of it." Nurse Joy smiled.

"I will Nurse Joy!" Aly answered. They then heard a bunch of cries coming from behind them. It was all the Grass Pokemon, coming to say goodbye to their friend and protector. Aly saw this and released Vulpix from the Pokeball. The Fire Pokemon saw its friends waving, so it raised one of its paws and waved back.

"Bye guys! I'll be sure to take care of Vulpix!" Aly shouted back to them, waving goodbye as well. She then turned to Nurse Joy. "Well, I guess this is really goodbye now."

"Yep, take care!" Nurse Joy said smiling.

With that, they walked in the opposite direction. Eevee jumped back onto Justin's shoulder while Squirtle and Vulpix walked right beside Aly.

"You know Aly; you were pretty brave out there today." Justin remarked.

"Oh…well, I guess I was just worried about Vulpix. So…I needed to step in and help it." Aly said back nervously.

"Hey, what you did was great. Maybe that'll give you a push to start battling again!"

"...Yeah, maybe..."


	9. Chapter 9 - The Limestone Contest

_**A/N: Man, writing this contest was a little more difficult then I expected, especially the appeal round performance. But, had to get it done. Hopefully you can understand whats going on during them. Sort-of Filler chapter, but has some important stuff.**_

**Chapter 9: The Limestone Contest**

"All right Eevee, use shadow ball. Mudkip, use your water gun!" Justin commanded.

Eevee created a dark ball of energy and released it while Mudkip shot out a stream of water. Both attacks collided with each other, which caused a small smoke explosion. The gentle breeze easily blew the smoke away.

"Wow, you guys are doing great! Eevee, that shadow ball was powerful! And Mudkip, that looked like your best water gun yet!" Justin exclaimed excitedly to them both.

"Eevee!" Eevee cried out happily.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out, acknowledging the compliment.

"We have to be train more though if we want our second badge at the Ruby City Gym." Both Pokemon smiled and nodded.

"All right Torchic, you ready to get in there?" Justin called out for the chick Pokemon. He looked around the area, but couldn't find it.

"Uh...Torchic?" Justin then turned around to find Torchic peacefully lying on the grass, gazing up at the sky.

"Torchic! Training Time!"

"Torchic!" Torchic cried out surprised. It quickly stood up and ran towards the training ground.

* * *

Aly sat down comfortably on a hill under a tree, talking to her newly caught Vulpix while Squirtle was taking a nap beside her.

"So Vulpix, there's a Pokemon contest happening in the next town just a few miles away from here. We're going to watch it there! Isn't that exciting?" she told her Pokemon

"Vul-pix." The red fox Pokemon nodded

"Ok, well, I guess it's time to get going. Vulpix, return." Aly said as she returned Vulpix back into its Pokeball. Squirtle woke up from its nap and let out a big yawn.

"All right Squirtle, let's get going." Aly said to her blue Pokemon.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out. It then ran towards Aly, who picked it up in her arms. She got up and turned around to the open field where Justin was.

"Hey Justin! We need to get going now!" Aly shouted to Justin. He then turned his attention to Aly, who was signalling him to come along.

"Oh, I guess we've got to go now." He turned towards his Pokemon, who were in a line in front of him.

"Great training guys! We'll continue later when we get a chance. Now Torchic and Mudkip get some rest and return," Justin said as he returned those 2 Pokemon to their Pokeballs.

"All right Eevee, let's go." Eevee hopped on Justin's shoulder and the 2 were off to catch up with Aly.

"All done! Shall we?" He greeted her. Aly nodded as they continued their journey towards Limestone Village. The dirt path led them into a small forest with a sea of trees and bushes on both sides of the road. The weather was beautiful once again with a comfortable temperature in the air. The 2 trainers began to talk about Justin's upcoming battle at Ruby City when all of a sudden a sharp noise came from the right.

"Wonder what that was?" Aly wondered.

"Hmm, let's go check it out." Justin suggested. They both headed in that direction off the dirt path and into the forest. After trekking past some trees and large bushes, Justin and Aly found themselves in a small open grassy area in the forest. In the distance, there was a boy in a black jacket with red pants and brown hair. There also seemed to be a Pokemon too. It was a small, blue, serpent-like creature with a white front body, 2 white fins on its head and a silver circle on its forehead.

"Now Dratini, use Thunder wave!" the boy called out.

"ERGHH!" Dratini squealed. It created yellow waves of electricity that made a circle formation above it in the sky.

"Now, use Dragon Rage!"

Dratini created a red ball of energy from its mouth and shot it up to where the thunder wave was. The 2 attacks collided in the air and were fighting each other. Before long, they created a mini light explosion that caused yellow sparkles to fall onto the ground. Dratini's skin began to shine beautifully as well.

"Wow. Did you see that? Did you see that?" Aly said amazed.

"Of course, I'm standing right here! I have to admit, that was impressive" Justin remarked. The boy walked up to his Dratini after that performance and kneeled towards it.

"Excellent work Dratini!" He remarked. Dratini smiled and nodded. After that, he noticed Justin and Aly watching him from the bushes. This startled both Justin and Aly, whom both became slightly embarrassed about being caught.

"Uh, hi there..." Justin said uncomfortably.

"Sorry if it looked like we were spying. We heard a noise come from somewhere and went to see where it was. After we found you guys, we watched that amazing performance you put on." Aly explained.

"Oh that's all right. But Dratini deserves most of the credit for perfecting its moves," the boy said petting his Dratini on the head. He stood up back onto their level.

"Let me introduce myself, I'm Justin Riser from Eruva! And this is my partner Eevee!" Justin stated.

"Eevee!" Eevee said, raising its paw to wave hi.

"My name is Aly Eatos, and this is Squirtle," Aly said extending her hand for a handshake

"Squirtle Squirt!" Squirtle cried out.

"My name is Darren. I'm a Pokemon Coordinator. And this is my Dratini," Darren said, accepting Aly's handshake.

"A Dratini! Wow, this is so cool," Justin said as he reached for his Pokedex for information.

"_**Dratini, the dragon Pokemon. **__**This Pokémon is full of life energy. It continually sheds its skin and grows steadily larger.**_" The Pokedex read out loud.

"Your Dratini is just the most beautiful thing I've seen," Aly exclaimed looking down at Dratini.

"Well, thanks. I guess it takes someone with beauty to recognize it," Darren smiled.

"Oh...uh, thank you...but, I'm not that."Aly blushed.

"...What?" Justin remarked quietly to Eevee on his shoulder. Darren and Aly both looked up at Justin with confused expressions.

"Uhhhh...so you're a Pokemon Coordinator eh? You participating in the Limestone Village contest?" Justin quickly asked.

"Actually I am. Dratini and I were just running through some last minute preparations. We're shooting for our second ribbon." Darren explained.

"Wow, so you've already won a ribbon already? Can I see it?" Aly asked.

"Sure."He pulled out a case from his pocket and opened it. Enclosed was a red and white coloured ribbon that sparkled beautifully. Justin and Aly leaned over to see the ribbon in the case.

"It's beautiful." Aly exclaimed.

"So, are you guys entering the contest too?" Darren asked

"I'm not. I'm trying to get into the Minero League by getting 8 badges." Justin explained.

"I see. How about you Aly?"

"Well...not exactly. I'm on ...a little break now. More like recharging before I get back into the training grind...heh heh. We were actually at the Amethyst City Gym recently, and the leader told us to check the contest out." Aly explained.

"I see. Well, maybe we can all go to Limestone Village together. It's just a few minutes down the road over there." Darren said pointing towards the road.

"That sounds great!" Aly exclaimed.

"All right, let's get going then!"

The 3 made their way back onto the dirt path and continued to walk down it. 10 minutes later, they reached the gate of Limestone Village. It was 2 long wooden poles supporting a big banner that said "Welcome to Limestone Village". It looked like a very old fashioned area with little huts built from tree tops, bark and wooden logs all over. The village was pretty busy with people and Pokemon walking all over the place. Everyone here was dressed in different clothes that consisted of robes or ponchos. Fresh produce and snack stands were stationed down the path.

"Wow, this place looks so...old!" Justin remarked.

"This town tries to keep its old heritage and traditions running. Apparently, what things looks like now, looked way back hundreds of years ago," Darren explained.

"Pretty unique. I wonder where the contest is taking place." Aly remarked.

"Right there," Darren pointing straight ahead. In the distance they saw a hut that was about 10 times the size of a house hut here.

"Are all contests held in these kinds of villages?" Justin asked.

"Nope, only this village is old school. All the other contests are held in cities and towns that are more this century. It's also said that this village also had Pokemon contests held here too in the past." Darren explained further. They walked a few more minutes before reaching the front of the contest hall.

"So when does the contest start Darren?" Aly asked.

"About half an hour from now. I just have to register at the front first. Would you like a tour inside?"

"Ok, that sounds great!" Aly replied. "Justin you want to come with?"

"Actually, Eevee and I are going to check out this village a little more!" Justin said.

"Ok, be sure to come back here in about half an hour. Meet Aly around the front inside the hut. Aly, I'll show you where you guys can sit too," Darren said.

"Got it. Thanks Darren, good luck to you in the contest." Justin said politely. With that, he and Eevee walked away.

"C'mon Aly, I have to go register inside right now," Darren said.

* * *

Justin continued to walk down a path in the village. He was amazed and confused all at the same time. The Eruva region was way more advanced and modernized than here. It was something that he'd never seen before. Also, he noticed that the people and Pokemon seemed to manage just fine here too.

"I had no idea there were places still like this...pretty wicked, eh Eevee?!" Justin exclaimed to his Pokemon. His attention was then pulled towards a conversation from 2 boys sitting on a couple of wooden boxes outside a hut.

"Hey, have you challenged the Ruby City Gym yet? One boy asked.

"Not yet. I'm still training some more. My friend recently challenged her but got clobbered easy." The other boy responded.

"So wait, the gym leader is a girl?"

"That's right, and she's very good with her fire types." Justin began to walk back the way he came.

"Fire types eh? Sounds like it's going to be a tough battle," Justin said to Eevee upon hearing that conversation.

"Vy," Eevee nodded.

"Well, we'll train hard and then beat her!" Justin said giving a thumbs up.

* * *

Aly stood against the front desk in the contest hut as she patiently waited for Justin to arrive. She observed the entire room and compared to the rest of the village, it was like walking from one era to the other. Inside had all the latest machines and electronics you'd find in a city such as TV Monitors, Pokemon PC's, video call stations, etc. There was a machine at the very left of the building that had 6 hemi-sphere indents on it, which was probably the healing machine used at Pokemon Centres.

A couple minutes later, Justin blew right through the doors of the contest hall into the main area in the direction of Aly, who was waiting right beside the front desk. However, he was running so fast that he stumbled while trying to stop and rolled right in Aly's direction. Eevee fell off his shoulder and rolled along with him. She saw him at the last minute and moved out of the way. Justin and Eevee rolled right into the wall with their bodies planted against it.

"Uhhh...are you all right?" Aly asked concernedly.

"...Yeah...I've...nev...er...felt...better," Justin stuttered, shaking in pain and falling onto his back.

"Ee...vee," Eevee said, doing the same thing as Justin.

"C'mon Justin! The contest is about to start and I want good seats!"

Justin quickly recovered and stood up. Eevee jumped right back onto his shoulder.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Justin exclaimed, He then grabbed Aly's hand and started to run, dragging her through the door opening.

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the Limestone Village Pokemon contest! "A lady with orange hair and wearing a white dress announced.

"My name is Jillian and I'll be your MC for the event this afternoon. I hope you all are ready for some magnificent performances from the fellow participants today. Coordinators who successfully make it through to the final round and win will be presented with the Limestone Ribbon!" She then walked over to a trio of judges sitting behind score tables

"Now let me introduce our panel of judges! On the left is Mr. Contesta, director of the Pokemon Contest Committee! Next to him is Mr. Sukizo, head of the Pokemon enthusiast club! And finally, we have our very own Limestone Village's Nurse Joy!" The raucous crowd cheered wildly.

"Now that that's settled, let's begin today's contest!" Jillian announced as the crowd cheered wildly. "All right, let's welcome our first contestant!"

* * *

About 15 different contestants came on with performances that were great, good and ugly. Various Pokemon came out such as Rhydon, Altaria, Ampharos, Jumpluff and Butterfree. The judges made their judgement and gave out their scores to the coordinators. Aly was awe-struck by the coordinators and their Pokemon.

"This is just awesome. Harry was right; these are very enjoyable to watch!" Aly exclaimed.

Justin smiled, liking the fact that Aly seemed really happy.

"And now, our final contestant is Darren!" Jillian announced.

Darren then ran to the centre of the stage and threw out his Pokeball.

"Dratini, let's go!"

The Pokeball opened up and out came the small blue and white Dragon Pokemon. It landed gracefully in onto the stage, with the sparkles coming from the Pokeball showcasing its shiny blue skin.

"Dratini, use Twister!" Darren commanded.

Dratini then swirled its tail around in a circle at a high speed. It wasn't long until a big twister appeared on its tail. Dratini controlled the speed and size of the twister enough to make it not out of control.

"Now use thunder wave!"

Dratini then conjured up waves of electricity that joined the Twister, causing it to glow brightly.

"Now throw it into the air!" Darren commanded.

"ERGHH!" Dratini cried out as it whipped its tail up and let go of the twister. It rose up in the air and then started to fall towards the Dragon Pokemon.

"Finish it up with Dragon Rage!"

Dratini then released a blue-reddish aura from its mouth towards the glowing twister. The attacks collided which caused a mini light explosion in the air. The thunder waves and dragon rage aura combined together and landed right behind Dratini. A terrifying light emitted from the attack, making Dratini look like a fearsome Dragon terrorizing the land.

"Incredible! With those combinations of moves, Darren has successfully made Dratini look like a fearsome Dragon. What a way to show off appearance and power!" Jillian said. The crowd went berserk with a standing ovation to follow

"Now that's showing off your Pokemon," Justin said.

"Yeah, you're right. That Darren is something else," Aly remarked.

"Let's see what our judges thought of that performance." Jillian said as she pointed towards the trio. The scores came from their score boxes in the order: 9.5, 9.6 and 9.4 for a total of 28.5 points

"Wow, a score of 28.5. That's the highest score today! And a well deserved score might I add," Jillian announced as the crowd cheered loudly as always.

"And ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our appeal round for this contest. Now, we ask that you please stand by as our judge's review the performances and determine who will move on."

* * *

The final 8 was decided and the battling rounds began immediately after the judge's ruling. The battles were pretty entertaining with action, grace and finesse. Each contestant gave it their all in battle, testing not only their physical strength but their will and determination. The 2 remaining finalists were Darren and a boy named Andrew. Justin enjoyed them a lot since it helped him with some new strategies for his upcoming battles. However, throughout the entire contest battle rounds, Aly's expression got progressively sadder. Justin didn't understand since she was pretty exciting before the event. He knew he had to try something to make her lively again.

"Well, we finally made it to the finals. Everyone sure worked hard to get here. It's just like us trainers preparing for gym battles. It must take a lot of hard work and strenuous activity to perfect their performances and battles!" Justin exclaimed excitedly, trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah..." Aly muttered quietly.

"Um, Aly? What's wrong?"

"Oh...it's nothing. Guess I'm just on edge on what's going to happen this final round..."

"...Ok then..." Justin sighed as he refocused back on the stage. Aly looked down at her hands and began to think to herself.

"_Wow...I never realized what it takes to become a coordinator. Just like a Pokemon Trainer training for gym battles. A lot of physical and mental training with your Pokemon is required. I actually had the thought of becoming a coordinator. But...in my condition...I don't think I..."_ She came back to her senses as Justin placed his hand on hers. She quickly looked back at him.

"Aly, just relax and enjoy the battle ok? Darren's in it so we gotta cheer him on." Justin said smiling widely.

Aly smiled back and nodded. _"Justin's right. Relax and enjoy...there's always something else..."_

"And now, let's go to the final battle between Andrew and Darren." Jillian announced. The giant TV monitor displayed both trainers' faces along with a meter bar representing their points. "And now, the timer has started so let the match begin!"

"Butterfree use tailwind!" Andrew commanded. Butterfree began to flap its wings lightning fast to conjure a blowing gust of winds towards Dratini. The strong wind hit Dratini, which caused it to try to hold its ground by ducking its head and keeping its body low on the floor. The wind affected Darren too, who braced himself by covering his face with his arms.

"Now use quick attack!" Andrew called out. Butterfree then charged right at Dratini.

"Dratini, dodge it!"

Dratini tried to slide out of the way. The tailwind however caused Butterfree's speed to double, so Dratini was hit hard before it had a chance to dodge. Darren's point meter went down.

"Another quick attack Butterfree!" Andrew commanded. Butterfree made a 180 spin after attacking and went straight after Dratini. The blue dragon Pokemon was hit hard again that it got knocked over on its side. Darren's point meter reduced even further after the attack.

"They're just too quick thanks to that tailwind." Darren said to himself. Just then, he felt the tailwind slowly dissipate.

"All right, it's done! Now Dratini, use Dragon Rage!" Darren commanded.

"ERGHHH!" Dratini cried out as it released a blue-greenish aura from its mouth at Butterfree.

"Butterfree, counter it with Silver Wind!" Andrew responded.

"Freee!" Butterfree cried out as it flapped its wings to create a wind with a silver sparkle aimed at Dratini. The attacks collided with each other, causing a min smoke explosion to occur. Both coordinators points meter dropped even further.

"Dratini, float up!" Dratini commanded.

"Butterfree, clear the smoke!" Andrew commanded. Butterfree flapped its wings to blow the smoke away. When the sight was clear, Andrew noticed Dratini wasn't there.

"What? Where did Dratini go?"

"Now, use thunder wave!" Darren called out. Andrew looked around to see where the Dratini and the attack coming from. He then looked up to see Dratini diving right down towards Butterfree. Dratini then conjured waves of electricity and aimed them right at the butterfly Pokemon. The attack hit and Butterfree struggled to stay up in the air with yellow thunder waves surrounding it.

"Butterfree is paralyzed Dratini! Use Dragon Rage!" Darren commanded. Dratini released its attack towards Butterfree. It was a direct hit, causing Butterfree to fly backwards and fall onto the ground. Andrew's score went down by a good margin.

"Butterfree, get up!" Andrew called out. Butterfree slowly got up, still struggling to stay afloat.

"Let's go Dratini, use Dragon Rage again!" Darren commanded. Dratini started to create its rage flame from its mouth.

"Butterfree, use sleep powder!" Andrew quickly commanded. The thunder waves suddenly disappeared for a moment. Butterfree was free of the paralysis and flapped a blue sparkling mist towards Dratini. The attack reached Dratini before it used Dragon Rage and made the blue dragon Pokemon sleepy. Before everyone knew it, Dratini fell asleep on the spot.

"Dratini! Get up!" Darren called out to his sleeping Pokemon. Dratini however just kept snoozing away.

"Finish this with silver wind!" Andrew commanded.

"Freee!" Butterfree cried out as flapped its wings and attacked Dratini with its silver wind attack. Dratini grimaced from the pain it felt from the attack as it flew backwards onto its back. It was clearly awake now, but in a lot of pain. It tried to get back up, but fell back and lay on the ground.

"Dratini, no!" Darren called out. 3 big X's then appeared each of the judges score box, signalling Dratini was unable to battle.

"And that's that! Dratini is unable to battle, meaning that Butterfree is the winner. And the winner of the Limestone Village contest is Andrew!" Jillian announced as the crowd began to cheer very loudly. Andrew waved his arm in the air, acknowledging the crowd's applause. He raised his arm for Butterfree to land and sit on it. Darren then kneeled towards Dratini to check on his Pokemon.

"Dratini, are you all right?" Darren asked.

"erghhh..." Dratini cried out weakly.

"You were great Dratini!"

Dratini smiled and nodded. Darren then returned Dratini into its Pokeball, got up from the floor and walked towards Andrew.

"Hey man, great battle and congratulations." Darren said sincerely.

"Hey thanks! You and Dratini were pretty good too. I hope we meet again in another contest!" Andrew replied as the 2 then shook hands.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, now Mr. Contesta will present our winning coordinator with the Limestone Ribbon. Congratulations for all those who participated and thank you all for coming out today! We hope to see you all next time!" Jillian announced.

Mr Contesta presented the ribbon to Andrew, who gratefully accepted it. Confetti then fell from the ceiling and the crowd cheered loudly for all the competitors.

* * *

"Well, I'm off the Amethyst City. There's a place where Pokemon can get massages and other special treatments." Darren said. He stood in front of Justin, Aly, Eevee and Squirtle outside the contest hall under the dark night sky.

"That's cool! We're going to stay over at the Pokemon Centre here for the night," Justin said.

"Why aren't you staying in for the night too?" Aly asked.

"Nah, I'm going to keep travelling. It's a gorgeous night right now, so I could sleep outside if I need too. I'm all packed with food too." Darren explained.

"I see. By the way, I'm sorry for your loss Darren."

"Ahhh it's all right. We're going to train harder to win the next contest!"

"That's the spirit!" Justin exclaimed.

"Justin, I know you'll do great against the gym leader there. Good luck." Darren said

"Thanks bud!" Justin replied, extending his hand towards him.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out, saying goodbye as well. Darren took it and both guys shook. He then turned towards Aly.

"And Aly, I hope you find what your goal soon." Darren said, adding a wink at the end.

"Oh...yeah me too. Thanks and good luck with your contests." Aly said while blushing a bit. Justin and Squirtle looked at her in confusion.

"Well, I'm off. See you guys soon!" Darren said as he started to walk away.

"Yeah, bye!" Justin and Aly both said. With that, the 2 started to walk towards the Pokemon Centre.

"Wasn't that a great contest Justin?" Aly asked.

"It was very entertaining." Justin replied. "Oh yeah, what was that all about? Was the wink at the end necessary? Talk about over-doing it..."

"What? Are you jealous?" Aly said slyly while giggling. Justin jolted a bit from that remark and started to blush a little himself.

"HA! Jealous?! Yeah ok..."

"C'mon...you totally were." She continued to playfully tease him.

"Umm, no, that was..." The 2 continued to argue as they both walked down the path under the starry night sky.

* * *

Caius walked down a hallway in the secret Team Immortal base. He then came across another fellow grunt walking in his direction.

"Hey, you!" Caius called out. The grunt stopped and looked at him

"Can you tell me where Master Hades is?" Caius asked.

"Yeah, he's getting ready for the mission at Ruby City. If you hurry, you can catch him on the boarding area." The grunt responded.

"Thanks man." Caius ran ahead to the boarding area. After 5 minutes of navigating through the base, he walked up the stairs and found someone wearing brown robes, a black hooded cape and a red mask board a helicopter.

"Wait! Master Hades!" Caius called out as he started running towards the shady figure.

"Yes, report." Hades said.

"There's something you should know about. You might run into a kid and his friend in Ruby City. He's really strong too. He gave us a headache at Amethyst Lake."

"Oh please, it's just a kid. Maybe you guys aren't strong yourselves. Don't worry; he shouldn't be a nuisance to me."

"But wait, you should know his na-..."

"I have to go now. Go back to the base and wait for further instructions!" Hades demanded.

"...fine." Caius said. Hades then closed the door and the helicopter took off.


	10. Chapter 10 - Fight for the Ruby Jewel P1

**Chapter 10a: Fight for the Ruby Jewel Part 1**

There was a fierce battle taking place on a grassy field just off the dirt road of Route 402. Aly and Justin had teamed up to face off against another pair of trainers travelling around the area. Squirtle and Torchic were the choices of the protagonists while the opponents had a Sandshrew and Kricketot on their end. Eevee, Mudkip and Vulpix were on the sidelines cheering their fellow Pokémon teammates on.

"Torchic, use your ember attack on Kricketot!" Justin commanded.

"Tor-chic!"Torchic chirped as it released balls of fire right at the big type Pokemon. Kricketot got hit by the attack and was sent backwards right in front of its trainer, unable to battle anymore.

"Sandshrew! Use rollout!" the male opponent trainer called. Sandshrew curled up in a ball and rolled right into Squirtle, knocking the blue turtle Pokemon onto its back.

"Oh no Squirtle!" Aly cried out.

"Torchic, ember attack!" Justin commanded. Torchic focused its attention to Sandshrew and released an ember attack at Sandshrew, which made it cringe in pain. Torchic ran towards Squirtle and flipped it back onto its feet.

"Finish it now Aly!"

"Right! Squirtle, use water gun!" Aly commanded. Squirtle opened its mouth and shot a stream of water at Sandshrew. Sandshrew was hit hard with the attack, which caused it to faint.

"Oh no Sandshrew!" the male trainer called out.

"Kricketot!" The female trainer added. The 2 ran over towards their fallen Pokemon.

"Well, looks like this battle is over," Justin suggested as he, Aly, Torchic and Squirtle began to walk over to the opponents.

"You guys are really strong! That was a great battle! I hope we all get to do it again sometime!" The female trainer exclaimed. They both stood up and extended their hands towards Justin and Aly. Handshakes were exchanged between trainers and Pokemon. The 2 trainers recalled their Pokemon into their Pokeballs and said their goodbyes before heading off.

"That was a great battle Torchic! Your ember is really strong now," Justin complimented his Pokemon.

"Torchic-Tor!" Torchic cried out happily as it strung a big smile.

"Same with you Squirtle! Good job out there!" Aly said to her Pokemon.

"Squirtle-Squirt!" Squirtle said as it put its hands on its hips, trying to show off.

"Anyways, we should get going. Ruby City is just down this road." Justin remarked.

"Ok, sounds good!" Aly said. They both recalled their Pokemon into their Pokeballs with the exception of Eevee and Squirtle. Eevee jumped back onto Justin's shoulder while Squirtle was picked up into Aly's arms. Once finished, the 2 started to walk down Route 402.

* * *

"Hey Justin...um, thanks for helping me out in that battle earlier." Aly remarked suddenly as they continued to walk down the path.

"No problem Aly! That's what team members do!" Justin replied exuberantly.

"I know...but it seemed like I only held you back. You did most of the work. If only..."

"Aly, don't worry about it. You're still getting back into the groove. This is good experience for you. Before you know it, when we get to more intense battles, we'll both be helping each other out!"

"Yeah...more intense battles...right. Um Justin, I-"

"We're finally here!" Justin shouted out. They stood right in front of the city's entrance. There was a big billboard sign to the left that read "Welcome to Ruby City!"

"Wow, feels like forever! Now time to find that gym!" Justin exclaimed. Eevee let out a cry of joy as well. Justin petted Eevee on the head and began to march into the city. Aly still stood at the city's entrance.

"...wow, just like that he forgets about me..." Aly murmured. She let out a big sigh and ran down the road to catch up with Justin.

The city was a lot like Amethyst City with extremely tall buildings all over that ranged from company headquarters, shopping stores and living condos/apartments. The one major difference though was the colour. Everything had a red colour scheme to them. Eevee and Squirtle decided to walk on the ground together, looking at other Pokemon merchandise shown by stores. Oddly though, it wasn't as lively as the other places they visited. After 10 minutes of walking and searching through streets and suburbs, they finally came across the Ruby City gym. It was a round dome shaped building that had a dark red rooftop and beige sidewalls. Justin approached the front door only to find a sign tagged onto it.

"_**The Ruby City gym is closed for today. Will re-open again tomorrow. Sorry for the inconvenience! – Maggie, Ruby City Gym Leader.**_"

"WHAT! NO WAY!" Justin shouted out in response to what he read. He then dropped to floor and sulked like a big baby.

"Umm, calm down. The gym will open up again tomorrow. Hey, I have an idea! Let's go get our PokeTabs now. Nurse Joy from Amethyst Lake said the company that sells them are located in this city!" Aly exclaimed.

"...All right fine, let's do it." Justin said as he regained his composure. The 2 trainers then walked in the opposite direction and back into the city. After walking down a couple more blocks and passing various shops; Justin and Aly arrived in front of a red building that must have been 40 stories high. There was a golden plated logo on the top of the door that read "PokeTab Corporation".

"I think this is the PokeTab Corporation," Aly remarked.

"Great deduction Sherlock, what gave it away? The fact that the company name is written just above the door?" Justin remarked smirking. Eevee and Squirtle began to laugh with him.

"Shut up." Aly shot back, hitting Justin on the head and then crossing her arms.

"Easy there! It was a joke! Geez!" Justin massaged the back of his head.

"Whatever...let's go inside."

Justin and Aly walked through the front doors and entered the building. It was a very high class setting with marble floor, glass front windows, expensive furniture and a few elevators located on both sides of the lobby. No one was present in the room except for the female receptionist in glasses wearing a black blazer at the front desk. Eevee jumped back onto Justin's shoulder while Squirtle went back into Aly's arms as the 2 trainers walked up to the front reception desk.

"Um excuse me. We're travelling Pokemon trainers and were wondering if we can get some PokeTabs." Justin said to the receptionist.

"Oh...why yes, certainly. Please wait over by those couches." She replied, extending her hand towards the nearby couches.

"Oh...ok. Thanks Ma'am!"

"By the way, were there 2 people outside the door?" The receptionist asked.

"Umm...no? Why?" Aly asked confused.

"I see...no reason. Please, have a seat."

Justin and Aly walked over to the benches and sat down. Eevee and Squirtle both sat on their respective trainer's laps. The receptionist picked up the phone on her desk and dialed some numbers. Aly was talking to Squirtle when she quickly glanced over at the receptionist and moved her attention towards her. She seemed to be a little upset with whoever she was talking to. After 10 minutes of waiting, the elevator bell rang and opened its doors. Out came two men wearing black suits and shades. They walked right up to Justin and Aly.

"You kids will now come with us," one of the men stated.

"We will escort you to our PokeTab manufacturer." The other one added.

"Oh, sounds good. Thanks!" Justin exclaimed. Aly and him got up and followed them to the elevator they came from. As they walked, Aly tugged on Justin's jacket sleeve.

"Justin, I have a bad feeling about this." Aly said softly to Justin.

"Why's that?" He replied back to her.

"I don't know...it just doesn't feel right."

"Aly, you always worry too much. I really don't think there's any suspicious activity going on. Look, we're going to get our PokeTabs now, relax ok?"

"...Maybe you're right..." Justin then raised his hand and patted Aly on the head and smiled. She smiled right back and was able to breathe easy. The elevator doors opened and the group walked into it. One of the men behind Aly pressed a button that would take them to the lower level. The doors closed and the elevator started to descend. Aly looked at Justin with an unsure expression, but quickly shook it off. The elevator bell rang again, signalling they had reached their destination. Justin and Aly stepped out of the elevator and took a look around. It was pretty dark with only a few ceiling lights lit. The room was surrounded by long metal rods, wooden planks and gas fuel barrels around the room.

"Is this the basement?" Justin asked aloud.

"Where's the manufacturer? This isn't what we came here for..." Aly said. Just then, she and Justin both felt something hard and cold wrap around their body. It was a metal bind contraption that clenched around them so hard that they couldn't move their arms.

"Hey, what's the deal?!" Justin shouted. Eevee jumped off of Justin's shoulder and hissed at the 2 men. Squirtle was dropped onto the floor after Aly's arms were trapped and gave them an enraged look. They both began to charge at the 2 shady men. One of them pulled out a remote from his pocket and pressed a button. Cages dropped from the ceiling and enclosed the Pokemon, trapping them like their trainers.

"Eevee!" Justin called out.

"Squirtle!" Aly called out as well.

"You kids are coming with us." One of the men said. They both grabbed a hold of Justin, Aly and their Pokemon and walked them towards the middle of the dark room. There was a metal cage that was as high as the room and about 30 feet wide. There were people trapped behind the cage as well, all adults wearing suits that looked shaken up. The 2 men opened the cage door and shoved Justin and Aly onto the ground. Eevee and Squirtle landed hard on the ground, which hurt the Pokemon in the process.

"What's going on here?!" Justin demanded.

"We can't let you kids get in our way..." one of the men replied.

"You're just going to have to wait here with these people while Team Immortal completes our mission!" The other one added. With that, the 2 men went back into the elevator and disappeared.

"We got to stop them!" Justin shouted out, squirming around trying to break free from the metal trap.

"It's no use. We're trapped here. I knew there was something fishy here..." Aly remarked as she started to tear up.

"Here..." a voice came from behind them. Justin looked behind him to see a man working with the trap that held him. He heard a click noise before realizing the trap opened up and he was free. The man then went to Aly and unlocked her.

"Wow, you freed us. Thank you so much!" Justin said gratefully.

"You're welcome." The man replied sincerely. He then walked over to the cages containing Eevee and Squirtle and used the same key free them. The small cages doors opened and the Pokemon stepped out. Eevee jumped towards Justin as he embraced the brown Pokemon in his arms.

"Eevee! I'm glad you're ok." Justin said. "Squirtle! I'm glad you're ok too." Aly said to her blue turtle Pokemon as it jumped into Aly's arms, hugging her. She wiped some of the tears from her eyes after

"Thanks for saving our Pokemon too. By the way, my name is Aly Eatos. And this is Squirtle." Squirtle waved and smiled.

"My name is Justin Riser! And this is Eevee." Justin added.

"Vy!" Eevee cried out.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Seth; I'm an employee here at PokeTab Corporation." Seth explained.

"Seth, what the heck is going on here?" Aly asked.

"Well, it all started yesterday when strange things started happening to this company. It was our annual company stay-over event where workers here stay overnight and have fun in the office. But, strange things started to happen as workers mysteriously went missing in the building. We started with about a full staff, then went down to half, then a quarter, and then a few. Before we knew it, we were all brought to this cell down here. We've all been stuck down here for about a day with no way of getting out."

"That's awful! Sounds like a horror movie..."

"It sure seems like it. We can confirm though that Team Immortal is behind this."

"Not those crooks again! Geez, we got to get out of here and stop whatever they're planning!" Justin exclaimed. "How about that key you unlocked us with? Can't that unlock this cage?"

"Unfortunately, this key only opens the traps they place on us, not the cell door," Seth replied. "If only we can get word to people outside to help us."

"Ee-vee!" Eevee cried out from Justin's arms.

"What's up bud?" Justin asked his partner. Eevee jumped from Justin's arms onto the floor and started digging. It dug a small hole and popped back up to the surface smiling.

"Hey, since when did Eevee learn dig?" Aly asked.

"I don't know...but that's amazing Eevee!" Justin exclaimed.

"Hey, why don't you ask Eevee to dig out onto the streets and look for Officer Jenny to help us?" Seth suggested.

"That's a good idea!" Aly remarked.

"Here, I'll write a note so that way Jenny knows exactly what's going on." Seth got out a pen and notepad from his inside jacket pocket and wrote down a letter. He ripped the paper from the pad, folded it and kneeled towards Eevee.

"Eevee, take this paper, dig out onto the streets and find Officer Jenny, ok?" Seth asked.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee nodded, as it took the paper from Seth with its mouth.

"The station is just down the street to the left from here. Good luck Eevee, we're all counting on you."

"I know you can do it pal," Justin said giving his Pokemon a thumbs up. Eevee nodded and then dug into the ground.

"I hope Eevee comes back soon." Aly said worriedly.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Eevee won't let us down." Justin reassured her. Just then, Squirtle jumped down from Aly's arms and went towards the hole. It looked back at Aly.

"Squirtle? You want to go along with Eevee?" Aly asked.

"Squirtle!" It nodded

"All right, go for it!" With that, Squirtle dove into the hole and followed Eevee.

* * *

Further below the PokeNav Corporation basement, there were a series of underground tunnels that led to a secret cave chamber. A group of people wearing brown robes and black capes were excavating the area. Many workers were performing several different functions such as setting up lights stands, controlling digging vehicles or working giant computer machines. The one who seemed to be calling the shots in this expedition was in red robes, a black hooded cape and a red evil looking mask. A scientist in a white lab coat was beside the hooded figure working on his own laptop.

"Master Hades, we're really close to uncovering the Ruby Jewel underneath the ground." The scientist explained.

"Very good Dr. Perron. Keep it going." Hades said back.

"Yes sir." The scientist walked to the workers near the computer panels to give them directions.

"Soon, Team Immortal will have exactly what we need, just a little while longer..." Hades said quietly to himself. "It's a good thing I planned this heist very deceptively by interfering with this company's annual event."

A giant drilling machine was digging away at the ground until the driver felt a bump back, where the drill wouldn't go down any further. The driver backed up from the hole it made and turned off the vehicle.

"Master Hades! I think we found something!"

This grabbed Hades' attention as he looked on and made his way over the site of the discovery. A bunch of grunts followed him. They all looked at the hole and found a sealed metal door.

"This must be where the Ruby Jewel is!" the scientist exclaimed.

"Men, open the sealed door!" Hades commanded.

"YES SIR!" all the grunts there called out. They then released their Pokemon from their Pokeballs. Zubats, Mightyenas, and Drapions came out of the Pokeballs onto the ground. They were then commanded to break the metal door. Moves like Shadow Ball, Cross Poison and Gust were performed right at the ground where the door. After multiple attacks were launched, a big smoke explosion was created. Everyone covered their faces with their arms as the smoke spread throughout the cave. Once the smoke cleared, Hades and his men looked back at the hole in the ground. The metal doors were destroyed thanks to the attacks. A red light emitted from the opening in the ground that shined very brightly.

"You there! Come down with me!' Hades said, pointing at the grunt closest to the opening.

"Sir!" The grunt saluted. They went through the opening of the destroyed door to figure out what they discovered.

* * *

In the streets of Ruby City, a small rumbling came from the ground. Out came Eevee, whose head popped out to look around where it was. Eevee was right outside the PokeTab Corporation doors and faced the direction where Seth told it to go. Eevee jumped out of the hole and started running down the street. Just then, Squirtle popped out from the hole and put its hands on its hips, showing off its accomplishment. Squirtle dropped the act quickly to look where Eevee was. After looking left and right, it found Eevee running down the street in front of the PokeTab Corporation.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out as it ran to catch up to Eevee. Eevee looked back to see its friend had come to join the mission. Both Pokemon followed Seth's instructions and eventually found the police station. Eevee and Squirtle ran through the main doors and towards the front desk where Officer Jenny was sitting. They jumped on top of the desk which caused Jenny to jolt.

"Whoa...Can I help you both with anything?" Jenny asked a little confused.

"Squirtle! Squirt, Squirtle!" Squirtle dabbled as it flailed its arms around like a spaz.

"Uhh..." Jenny said, even more confused than before.

Eevee shook its head in disappointment. It raised its right front paw and smacked Squirtle in the back of its head. Squirtle froze up with its eyes wide open, just realizing what it was doing.

"Ee-Eevee!" Eevee mumbled with the note in its mouth. It lowered its head and opened its mouth to give the note to Jenny. She picked it up, opened it and began to read the writing.

"_**Officer Jenny. My name is Seth Granger, and I work for the PokeTab Corporation down the street. During our annual company stay-over event today, a shady group of people called Team Immortal took over the building and locked all us employees in a giant caged cell. Please help us out!"**_

"Team Immortal? Don't tell me...This isn't good at all! Ok, I'm on my way!" Jenny exclaimed. She then got up from her chair and ran right out the door. Eevee and Squirtle followed behind her. When they ran outside, in front of them was Jenny in her motorcycle. It had a small passenger buggy on its side.

"Let's go guys! Hop in!" She called out.

Eevee and Squirtle jumped into the passenger buggy and landed on the seat. Jenny stepped on the pedal and the motorcycle zoomed ahead down the street. Within a few minutes, they reached the front of the PokeTab Corporation. Jenny, Eevee and Squirtle jumped off the bike and barged through door. They found the girl receptionist packing up her desk. She caught Officer Jenny in her eye and froze up, realizing the police were onto them. She then started to run away.

"Oh, no you don't!" Jenny shouted as she chased her in the lobby. The receptionist headed straight for the elevator to get away.

"Ee-vee!' Eevee cried out as it released a shadow ball attack aimed right in front of the elevator. A smoke explosion occurred and the receptionist froze in her tracks. This gave Jenny the opportunity to grab a hold of her and pin her against the wall. She handcuffed the troublemaker and pushed her hard against the wall.

"Thanks! Way to think on your feet." Jenny said to Eevee.

"Ee-vee," Eevee said happily with a smile on its face.

"All right! Now tell me where are the workers being held? And what is Team immortal planning?"

"They're being held in the basement level. We, Team Immortal, are implementing the first act of our grand mission! By now, I'm sure Master Hades has already unearthed the jewel and completed the first step!" The grunt explained and laughed maniacally. Just then, 2 other police officers came through the front doors.

"Jenny! You rushed out of the station without giving an explanation. Is everything ok? Do you need help?" One asked.

"Steve! Damon! I'm glad you guys are here, and yes I do! Steve, Team immortal might be in possession of this city's ancient jewel. I need you to get back up. Call squads 1, 2 and 3. Tell them its code red 117. Damon, watch this crook over her and make sure she stays still. I'm going to find the other workers that they imprisoned here." Jenny explained.

"Yes Ma'am!" Both Steve and Damon saluted, where they then performed their assigned duties.

"Squirtle, Squirt!" Squirtle cried out to grab Jenny and Eevee's attention. They both looked over to see the blue turtle Pokemon in the elevator already, signalling them to come over. Jenny and Eevee then ran over into the elevator where Squirtle pressed the B button. The doors closed behind and the elevator began to descend.

"I'm coming guys..." Jenny said to herself." I'll get you all out."

* * *

_**A/N: More of what is going on here will be explained in Part 2. As always, leave feedback if you have something to say.**_


	11. Chapter 11 - Fight for the Ruby Jewel P2

_**A/N: Sorry for the longer delay. With school happening again it's been very a very busy time for me. But, I was always to dedicate time for here and finish this latest chapter. I hope it's to your guys' liking.**_

**Chapter 11: Fight for the Ruby Jewel Part 2**

"Man, this isn't what I expected for my visit to the PokeTab Corporation." Justin commented. He and Aly were sitting beside each other right against the cell barricade, right across from their new acquaintance Seth.

"Um Seth, why do you think Team Immortal is doing all this?" Aly asked.

"I'm not 100% sure, but it may have something to do with the legendary jewel of the city." Seth remarked as he loosened his tie.

"Legendary Jewel?" Justin asked.

"That's right. I assume you kids are new to this region and don't know about the rich history."

"That would be a big nope!"

"Well, allow me to story tell. Thousands of years ago, there was something called the Energy Creation Mechanism, or E-C-Mech for short. This ancient contraption had the ability to generate an endless amount of pure energy. No one knows how this was possible. According to the history books, humans learned how to harness this energy and use it to gain physical strength, greater intellect and will power. This made Minero one of the most advanced civilizations in the Pokemon World back then. Trade, work efficiency and productivity were at an all time high and the people were living in a golden age. Everyone was happy and content with life thanks to this mechanism." Seth explained.

"Are you serious? That's so cool!" Aly remarked.

"However, with progress and prosperity comes greed and potentially violence. Several groups of thieves attempted to use the mechanism for their own selfish goals. Soon after, everyone wanted this energy, which caused a civil war to transpire amongst the population. The Minero Region's once serene utopia became a ferocious battleground. In order to stop this, 3 individuals known as The E-C-Mech Guardians, destroyed the area where the E-C-Mech was located and sealed it permanently. The war eventually ended and people realized that the E-C-Mech had created an unsafe world to live in. They then started to focus their efforts on rebuilding and working together through their own strength and willpower. The contraption was powered by 3 mystical jewels, which were taken by each guardian and hidden in 3 secret areas. Rumor has it that one of them is located somewhere in this city."

"For real?! Damn, sounds awesome!" Justin gasped.

"...Well, I guess. But, that's just a rumor passed down in this city. No one knows if it's true. The police banned any kind of excursion to locate the jewel in order to prevent what happened in the past."

"I don't know about you guys, but I think Team Immortal knows where it is. I also have a hunch where it is too...right below this building!" Aly exclaimed.

"WHAT? Why do you say that?" Justin asked.

"Yes, please explain..." Seth added.

"First, they target the PokeTab Corporation and its employees. Now, there must be a reason why they're here." Aly explained. She then turned to Seth. "Have they stolen any money or expensive products since they've been here?"

"Hmm, no they haven't actually. The safe at the other end of this floor contains a good portion of our valuables, and it hasn't even been touched yet!"

"Right! They just locked every employee in this cell to keep out of their way."

"I still don't get it. This is the lowest floor in the building right?" Justin remarked.

"Well, just take a look at the elevator from here. You can visibly see the cable cart travel up and down. Ever since they walked in there, the elevator hasn't gone back up. I highly doubt they're still on this floor, sitting in that cart. So, it must mean they went further down. I'm pretty sure Team Immortal dug another level below this building."

"Wow, and you figured this out all by yourself too. Way to go young lady!" Seth commented

"Oh...well, it's just a hunch really. I don't really know if it's true or not..."

"You gotta give yourself more credit Aly! Damn, your thought process, detective skills was sick! You're not a secret detective or something right?" Justin asked dumbfounded.

"Oh, no, no...heh. Well, I watched a lot of detective shows when I was at home before my journey...but that doesn't contribute to anything..." Aly replied timidly.

Just then, they heard a small screeching noise coming from the elevator. As they looked on, Justin, Aly and Seth saw the cable car rise up towards the main level. It paused for a second, and then started to slowly drop until it reached the basement. The elevator rang and its doors started to open up. Inside was a woman in a blue uniform, hat and black heels along with 2 small Pokemon.

"Eevee!" Justin called out.

"Squirtle!" Aly called out to her Pokemon.

Eevee and Squirtle looked up as they heard their respective trainers call out their name. The gleamed of happiness and ran towards Justin and Aly. They both knelt down to their Pokémon's level.

"Great job Eevee, I knew I can count on you!" Justin exclaimed. He extended his arm through the cell to massage Eevee's head. Eevee nuzzled against his hand and smiled.

"You too Squirtle! You're the best!" Aly said, patting Squirtle on the head. Squirtle put its hand on its hips and nodded. Officer Jenny ran up to the cell to where the Pokemon were.

"You're Pokemon informed me of the news. They're really brave. Are you guys ok?"

"Yeah, we're fine." Justin said to her.

"Officer Jenny!" Seth called out as he ran towards her.

"Hello, are you Seth?" Officer Jenny asked.

"Yes, I am. I'm the one who wrote the note. A group of criminals named Team Immortal locked all of us in here. Also...they may have found the legendary jewel of the city right beneath us!"

"Hmm, we can't be for sure that it's the legendary jewel. But, knowing how cunning and smart they are, it might just be. If we don't act fast, they might be in possession of it! All right, where's the door?"

Seth pointed to his right. "You'll need the key first."

Jenny ran in the pointed direction and reached the cell door. She pulled the metal key from the receptionist upstairs out of her side pocket and inserted it into the key hole. She twisted the key and unlocked the door.

"All right everyone, you're all free!"

All the other employees started to walk out of the cell. They thanked Officer Jenny, Seth, Justin, Aly and their respective Pokemon. Once Justin and Aly got out of the cell, Eevee and Squirtle ran towards their respective trainers and jumped into the arms. They both hugged their Pokemon, showing them gratitude and affection.

"Thanks for unlocking us Jenny." Aly said as she walked out of the cell.

"Don't worry about it!" Jenny replied.

"Anyways, we need to figure out how to get below here and stop Team Immortal!" Justin called out. Eevee jumped onto Justin's shoulder where it likes to hang.

"You're right. Let's head to the elevator." Seth suggested. The 4 of them started to run towards the elevator where they saw the doors open. About 20 more police officers had arrived to help.

"Jenny! We've been sent here to give you a hand! More are on the way as well." One of the officers stated as he saluted Jenny.

"Thank you! Benny and Oliver, your squad comes with me. Steve and Damon, your squad should help these workers get out of here. Give them any aid they need."

"Yes ma'am!" They all said, saluting her. They split into 2 groups and performed their assigned duties.

"Justin, I'm going to help the officers here with taking care of the employees." Aly remarked to Justin. "They all look like they're in pretty bad shape and...I want to help them." Justin looked at her with uncertainty at first, but then nodded.

"Help them out Aly! Do your best!" Justin exclaimed, raising his hand in the air. Aly smiled and returned the high five back. She then ran off towards a group of PokeTab employees to treat them.

"All right, let's check out this elevator." Jenny said. The group ran to the elevator and opened its doors.

"All right, there must be something to make it go lower." Seth said.

In the small elevator everyone chose a side to examine if there was a hidden button or switch that allowed it to travel a lower level. Eevee jumped onto the floor and looked on the ground when suddenly it found a small bump near the back left corner. It pressed it down with one of its paws and caused the elevator doors to close. Everyone was startled by the doors closing as they looked on. The elevator started to slowly lower deeper into the ground.

"Hey, it seems like we're going down," Seth remarked.

"I wonder how that happened." Justin added.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out to get everyone's attention. They all saw the bump Eevee had pressed down and assumed it was a switch to bring the elevator down another level.

"Great job Eevee!" Justin exclaimed.

"I must say you're Eevee is quite the bright Pokemon!" Officer Jenny remarked. The elevator was moving down slowly while shaking a bit. After a few moments, the elevator started to really slow down before stopping. The bell rang and the doors opened up. The entire group walked out and noticed ahead of them was a huge tunnel that was lit by lanterns hanging throughout the walls. It wasn't cement walls or floors anymore. They all had travelled below the foundation of the building.

"I bet Team Immortal dug these up. C'mon, we got to keep moving. They might already be in possession of the jewel." Jenny said. The group then ran straight into the tunnels, hoping to lead to the criminal gang.

"Judging from the earth here, these tunnels seem like they were dug not too long ago."

"Yeah, there was some heavy duty construction going on here the past month. The company told us it was renovating the basement, but it was probably to do all this," Seth explained. "This means that the construction firm must have belonged to Team Immortal. They planned this from the start!"

After a few minutes, the end of the tunnel was visible, illuminated by a bright shining light. The entire group ran through the exit and into the next area.

"Huh, What?" someone remarked. All of a sudden, people around the area looked to see what or who just entered through the tunnel.

"Check it out..." Justin remarked as he observed the whole area. It was filled with machines, vehicles, computers and tons of construction equipment. Everyone else looked around to see what was below the company's ground level. Just then, a whole platoon of robed figures surrounded the group.

"What are you all doing here?" One of the people wearing lab coats asked forcefully.

"WHAT?! Mr. Perron?!" Seth cried out in shock.

"Oh Seth, what an unexpected surprise," The scientist smirked.

"You know that man?" Justin asked.

"Yes, he's the president of our company." Seth explained. "You work for Team Immortal too? Looking for the Ruby Jewel I suppose! How do you know it's even here?"

"My friend, Team Immortal has worked their way into many corporations and built relationships with them. The technology we've acquired through these partnerships enabled us to locate the jewel. We also have many agents undercover in other organizations, such as me. You may have known me as Mr. Perron, president of Ruby City's largest corporation. But, in Team Immortal, I am the head scientist of the Ruby City Project!" Mr. Perron explained.

"Team Immortal, you're under arrest for kidnapping the workers of the PokeTab Corporation and trickery!" Jenny announced, pointing at the head scientist.

"Well, I would take that as a threat. But, as you can see...I have you out-manned by a grand margin." Mr. Perron said, raising his arms to show off his personal.

"Jenny, he's right. They have the upper hand now." Seth exclaimed.

"That's right. Now if you all can just hang tight, Master Hades will be back soon with the legendary jewel we seek!"

"Oh no, we were right. They've found the Ruby Jewel..." Seth said.

"We have to stop them!" Justin remarked.

"Well, let's start with this!" Jenny shouted out as she pressed on of her studded earrings. All of a sudden, a group of Policemen charged through the tunnel behind them.

"Wait, where'd they come from?" Mr Perron asked.

"The Police Force is prepared for anything. And now, we're pretty even in forces." Jenny said smiling.

"Ha, well, let's see how you fare against the power of Team Immortal!" Mr Perron shouted out. All the grunts came forward and threw out Pokeballs, which released a whole bunch of Pokemon. Mightyena, Sneasal and Zubat all appeared in front of them.

"Oh yeah? We'll fight back!" Justin shouted out, as he threw his 2 Pokeballs in the air, releasing Torchic and Mudkip. Each let out a cry of their Pokemon speech tongue. Eevee jumped from his shoulder and joined its fellow teammates, each glaring at the Team Immortal Grunts. Jenny then grabbed her Pokeball and tossed it up releasing an Arcanine.

"Wow, that's a huge Pokemon!" Justin exclaimed excitedly. He then grabbed out his Pokedex to read up on its entry.

"_**Arcanine, the Legendary Pokemon. Its proud and regal appearance has captured the hearts of people since long ago." **_The Pokedex read out.

"Wow, that is so cool!" Justin gleamed with excitement at Arcanine.

"I guess it's my turn!" Seth said as he grabbed a Pokeball from his belt and threw it in the air. Out came Pokémon with the top half body coloured blue and the lower half cream. Its ears are triangular with red insides, and it possesses a rounded nose and red eyes.

"Quil-lava!" The Pokemon cried out. Fire then shot out from the top of its head and its back.

"Wow, so cool! I gotta check this out." Justin said as he started to grab his Pokedex. All of a sudden, he felt a smack on the back of his head. He looked up and saw Aly with him, her arms crossed and a frustrated look on her face.

"Aly? When did you co-"

"Justin, we're under attack! Maybe the Pokedex can wait?" Aly interrupted him.

"Oh yeah..."

"All right team, let's go!" Jenny commanded. The Police Officer Squad threw all their Pokeballs, which released a pack of Growlithe. The sides were now even now.

"Team Immortal! We have to stall them before Master Hades comes back!" Mr. Perron stated. "ATTACK!"

* * *

"All right guys, what do all say for a little gym battle practice?" Justin asked his team as he was head to head with a Grunt.

His Pokemon cried out in agreement in their respective tongue.

"You won't beat me kid!" the grunt said.

"We'll see about that man." Justin replied back. It was his Mightyena, Sneasal and Zubat against Justin's Eevee, Torchic and Mudkip.

"Mightyena, use your Bite on Eevee!"

"Raawwr" Mightyena howled out as it charged straight t Eevee.

"Eevee, jump up into the air and dodge!" Justin commanded. Eevee just jumped out of the way and avoided Mightyena's teeth. It was high in the air and began to fall downwards.

"Now, use Iron Tail!"

"Eev-vy!" Eevee cried out as its tail light up and smacked it down on Mightyena's head. It caused the dog Pokemon the slam hard onto the ground, unable to battle anymore. The grunt recalled his Pokemon.

"Grrrrr! Now Sneasal, use Ice Shard on Mudkip!" The Grunt commanded.

"Sneasal!" Sneasal cried out as it created pointed shards of ice and hurled them at Mudkip.

"Torchic, block those shards by using ember!" Justin commanded.

"Tor!" Torchic released balls of fire from its mouth, which blocked the ice shards and melted them into water. The ember attack then went straight for Sneasal, knocking it backwards onto its back. Just then, the grunt's Golbat came up behind Torchic to use an attack. Torchic looked behind itself and froze in fear.

"Mudkip, water gun attack!"

"Kip!" Mudkip cried out as it shot out a powerful stream of water right at Golbat. It made direct contact with the blue bat, sending it towards the ground and unable to battle. Torchic ran right towards Mudkip and thanked it for its help. Mudkip smiled, but then heard footsteps coming from its blind side. Just as Mudkip turned, Sneasal jumped towards it to swipe its sharp claws.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out as it hit Sneasal with a tackle attack just before the ice Pokemon collided with Mudkip. The attack sent Sneasal towards a rock, which it slammed into and became unable to battle.

"Oh no! I better get outta here!" the grunt shouted out. He recalled his fainted Pokemon and ran off.

"All right!" Justin shouted out, jumping up and fist pumping the air. He ran up to his Pokemon, knelt down and congratulated all of them.

"You guys were awesome!" Justin said smiling. He then looked back and saw Aly was outnumbered. "C'mon, we gotta help out Aly!" He and his Pokemon then ran in her direction to her aid.

* * *

"Vulpix, flamethrower attack!" Aly commanded timidly. She had her Vulpix facing off against a grunt's Scyther. Vulpix released a red-orange stream of fire from its mouth towards Scyther, knocking the Pokemon out of the battle. The grunt returned his Pokemon and ran off. Just after, 3 grunts ambushed her with Golbat and Mightyena.

"You're outnumbered now girl!" one of the grunts shouted.

Aly started to feel weak as she was breathing a little more heavily than before. Her Pokemon took notice and were concerned for her. She bent down on one knee trying to catch her breath.

"_No, not now...It was only one battle...I've lasted longer than this before..."_

"Golbat, get her!" another one commanded. The bat Pokemon shot an air cutter attack right at Aly. She braced herself for the attack by raising her arms to cover her face. All of a sudden, a shadow ball attack came out of nowhere and blocked the air cutter wind. She looked on and saw Justin coming her way and the attack coming from Eevee.

"ALY! We're coming to help you!" Justin shouted as he ran in her direction. He reached to where she was and faced the 3 grunts attacking.

"All right! Mudkip! Use your water gun! Torchic, ember!" Justin commanded.

Mudkip and Torchic stood by together and each released their respective attacks to knock out all the grunts Pokemon. They all return theirs to the Pokeballs and ran off too.

"All right!" Justin shouted happily.

"Thanks Justin!" Aly exclaimed. All of their Pokemon celebrating by jumping up and down for joy.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah...I'll be fine." Justin then helped Aly stand up to her feet. They looked on at the battles that were taking place, and it seemed like their side was winning. Just then, Justin and Aly saw Seth running up to them.

"Justin, Aly, we need to get to that area there in order to stop their master from getting the jewel!" Seth explained as he pointed towards the ruined hole located at the end of the cave. If we sneak behind those computer machines there, we can avoid the grunts. I will then distract Mr. Perron while you two chase down their master."

"Sounds good Seth, just be careful." Justin said.

With that, Justin, Aly, Seth and all their Pokemon ran towards the computer machines and crawled behind them, avoiding all the grunts that were battling or looking for a battle. They eventually made their way around and right in line with Mr Perron against the cave wall.

"All right, I'm going to battle Mr Perron to distract him. Once we're locked in, you guys move on ahead." Seth explained. Justin and Aly nodded, understanding their roles. Seth and Quilava then got up from their hiding spot and ran towards his boss.

"Well, well...look who has come to play." Mr Perron smirked.

"You were someone I looked up to. You won't get away with this." Seth said, clenching his fist with anger.

"Hahaha...fine, let's battle." Mr Perron grabbed a Pokeball from his belt and threw it in the air. Out came 3 metal balls stuck together with each having a screw on top of their head, Magnets on their sides and an eyeball.

"Now Magneton, use Metal Sound!"

"Quilava, use flamethrower!" Seth commanded. The 2 Pokemon launched their attacks at each other. They collided and created a smoke explosion that covered their battle area.

"Now's our chance! Let's move!" Justin said. Aly, the Pokemon and him walked past Mr. Perron and towards the ruined hole. They eventually reached the hole where they saw 2 people emerge to the surface. One of them was a Team Immortal Grunt, and the other was in brown hooded robes, a black cape and a red mask. He was holding a red, sparkling round jewel in his arms. They then noticed Justin and Aly were right in front of them.

"Hey, that must be the Ruby Jewel!" Justin yelled out at them.

"Master Hades, I'll take care of these kids. Get yourself over to the escape point!" the grunt remarked.

"Right!" Hades said, as he then ran in the opposite direction of Justin and Aly.

"We need to stop him!" Justin shouted.

"You guys aren't stopping my master. Go Sneasal!" The grunt called out as he threw his Pokeball and released his Pokemon.

"Eevee use you Iron Tail!" Justin commanded.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out as it raised its glowing tail and slammed it into Sneasal, sending it flying backwards towards the wall.

"Oh no, I gotta get outta here!" The grunt shouted as he ran off.

"C'mon! Let's go stop Hades!" Justin remarked as he, Aly and their Pokemon then ran in the direction where Hades headed off. They chased the hooded figure to where his rendezvous point was. They ran up inclined rocky paths and tracked through mudded areas in order to catch up to him. They got to a point where Hades came across a dead end where Justin and Aly could corner him. There was a ladder that Hades climbed to reach the high ground. Once on top, he knocked the ladder over, preventing Justin and Aly from reaching him. Justin looked behind him to see Aly struggling to keep up with him. She was about to fall over before Justin ran to her and caught her in his arms.

"Aly! Are you ok?" Justin asked worriedly.

"Yeah...just a little tired. I'll be fine..." Aly said weakly before standing on her won. Hades started to laugh as the 2 trainers looked up at him

"Heh, heh, heh...you children came close, but close doesn't cut it." Hades snickered, his back facing Justin and Aly.

"You come back here! That jewel doesn't belong to you!" Justin shouted out.

"Au contraire, we need this jewel to implement our master plan!" Hades replied. They all heard footsteps coming from the distance, where Justin and Aly saw Seth running up the inclined hill.

"Seth!" Justin exclaimed.

"Hey guys, I took care of Mr. Perron, but he and all the other grunts have ran off and escaped. Officer Jenny and her troops are seeking them out." Seth explained.

"Fool! You may have defeated my soldiers, but our true objectives were." Hades said as he turned around to face them.

"Guess what, we're going to stop you!" Justin shouted back. Hades looked behind him and closely examined Justin through the eye holes on his mask.

"_...I know you...can it be?" _Hades thought to himself.

"What is your plan about anyway?" Seth asked.

"Well, in short, Team Immortal plans to locate the legendary jewels in order to utilize the Energy Creation Mechanism." Hades announced to them.

"But that machine has been lost for many centuries. You won't be able to find it."

"We'll see about that."

"No you won't, because we're going to stop you." Justin shouted out

"Haha, well, I'd like to see you try...Justin." Hades said deviously.

"WHAT?!"

"Justin? You know this guy?" Aly asked curiously.

"...No...I don't...How is it that you know me?" Justin asked in disbelief.

"Oh, I know you quite well Justin. We've had quite a history together."

"..."

"You may turn out to be a useful pawn to me in the future. But I have no use for your friends, so I will get rid of them!" Hades shouted out as he pointed for Aly.

"Aly, look out!" Seth yelled out.

Aly turned to her right where she saw a shadow ball attack coming right for her. She froze up in fear, staring at the attack and not able to dodge.

"ALY!" Justin shouted. It was then, a big smoke explosion occurred where she were standing.

"Oh no!" Seth shouted out, worried about Aly. As the smoke subsided, he saw Aly still standing. She were shaking, closing their eyes and ready to embrace the inevitable pain. She opened her eyes and looked down below them. Torchic was on the ground all covered in dirt and bruises.

"TORCHIC!" Justin cried out. He ran over towards it and kneeled down and picked up his Pokemon, cradling it in his arms. The rest of Justin and Aly's Pokemon ran up to him to see to the condition of their comrade.

"Are you guys all right?" Seth asked as he ran closer to them.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But Torchic seems hurt..." Aly said.

"A grunt came out of nowhere with his Mightyena and attacked. Torchic intercepted the blast at the last minute, protecting you Aly." Seth added. Justin then looked down at Torchic, who opened its eyes slightly to see its Trainer.

"Torchic, thank you..." Justin said as he embraced his hurt Pokemon closer to his chest. He then grunted angrily and looked back up at the grunt.

"All right Eevee, use your Iron Tail at full power!" Justin commanded.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out as it ran towards the Mightyena. Eevee's jumped up into the air as its tail glowed. It then slammed its tail across the face of Mightyena, sending it flying to the side.

"AHHH!" the grunt cried out. He returned its fallen Pokemon and ran away.

"Hmm, it seems your Pokemon care for you a lot." Hades remarked.

"You're going to pay!" Justin shouted out to him.

"That was nothing. But, I can see that you have the potential to be a very good Pokemon trainer. Hmm, maybe you'll join us in the near future! I know someone who would like that very dearly..." Hades exclaimed. He started to laugh maniacally and walked away.

"Come back here!" Seth shouted. The group started running towards him when suddenly; they felt an explosion come from the top. It caused them to cover their heads from the falling debris. Once they looked up, the top of the cave was blown up, revealing sunlight and the sky. A strong wind then came about that made them hold their ground. A helicopter was rising up and eventually left through the hole leading to the surface.

"They're gone..." Aly said as she recuperated from the wind storm.

"Yeah, and with the legendary Ruby Jewel too." Seth added.

Justin just stood there with Torchic in his arms, trying to understand what had just gone on. That last conversation with Hades kept playing in Justin's mind over and over again. He had no clue who that Hades was and how he knew him. Justin just stared into space, retracing his old memories to find any sort of clue that would lead to Hades. But, nothing clicked or came about. The Police force along with Officer Jenny arrived in the area with Justin, Aly and Seth.

"Are you guys all right?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah, we're fine." Aly replied.

"Team Immortal's boss got away though," Seth said quietly.

"I know, as well as all the other grunts that we battled down below." Jenny remarked. She then turned to Justin, who had a blank expression on his face.

"Hey, are you ok?"

"Huh...oh yeah, I'm fine."

"I think you should take your Torchic to the Pokemon Centre. Let us take care of this scene," Jenny said with a smile.

* * *

Justin and Aly stood outside the treatment room, looking through the giant window on the wall. Nurse Joy and Chansey were treating Torchic by doing medical tests and administering antibiotics. Eevee, Squirtle, Mudkip and Vulpix were all cuddled up together, sleeping peacefully on the nearby benches.

"I really hope Torchic will be ok. It's my fault it's in this condition." Aly said, breaking the silence.

"Don't worry; Torchic is a fighter...despite its derpy tendencies. I'm sure it'll be fine." Justin said, turning his head towards her.

"I can't help but feel bad. If only I had kept my guard up and wasn't so weak..."

"Aly stop it." He said firmly which caused Aly to look up at him. "Listen, Torchic did it because it saw you were in danger and wanted to help you. Eevee, Mudkip, Squirtle, Vulpix...even I would have blocked the attack. It's because we're friends Aly, we look out for each other. So don't sweat it ok? I'm just glad you're all right."

Aly looked the other way and started to tear up. Justin put his arm around her and held her close.

"I'm sorry Justin...I'll be the one to help you next time..." She remarked softly through her tears into his jacket. "_If it were only possible..."_

"Well, I'll tell you one thing." Justin remarked. Aly looked up at him. "This is very unlike Torchic. It's usually dazing off into space, yet today it was like a superhero...Pokemon sure are mysterious eh?" Aly giggled and nodded.

"Maybe it's a sign that Torchic's growing up." Aly added. Justin laughed and agreed with her.

He helped Aly regain her composure as they both walked towards the benches where their Pokemon were to sit down. About 20 minutes later, the doors to the treatment room slid open and Nurse Joy popped out. Justin, Aly and their Pokemon got off the benches and walked towards the nurse.

"Nurse Joy, how's Torchic doing?" Justin asked immediately.

"The treatment was a success. Torchic is going to be just fine." Nurse Joy said happily.

"Oh thank goodness," Aly sighed. Nurse Joy extended her arm to direct them through to the treatment room doors. Justin, Aly and their Pokemon walked past her and through the doors to find Torchic. Inside the room laid the injured Chick Pokemon on a rolling hospital bed. Torchic's head rested on a pillow and had a blanket over top of its body in order to keep warm and comfortable. Justin and Aly walked up beside the bed while Eevee, Mudkip, Vulpix and Squirtle jumped up onto another treatment bed to be on level. Torchic slowly opened its eyes to see its trainer and friends.

"Torchic! I'm so glad you ok!" Justin exclaimed.

"Tor-"Torchic chirped softly, acknowledging its Trainer's feelings.

"Thanks for saving me from that attack earlier Torchic. You were really brave." Aly said as she massaged the side of Torchic's face. Torchic smiled, nuzzling against the soft hand on its face. The rest of the Pokemon cried out happily in their respective tongue to cheer Torchic for its efforts. Torchic smiled and nodded its peers. Just then, they heard some footsteps enter the room. As Justin and Aly looked behind them, they saw a familiar face.

"Seth!" they both called out.

"Hey guys! How's Torchic doing?" Seth asked.

"Nurse Joy has taken care of it and now just needs rest. Torchic is going to be fine!" Justin explained. Seth then walked up to the bed next to Torchic, who noticed Seth's presence.

"I'm glad you're doing better buddy."Seth said smiling.

"Tor-Torchic!" Torchic chirped, smiling back. Seth then turned to Justin and Aly.

"I just want to say, thank you both for all of your help."

"Well thanks! But, I really didn't do that much..." Aly said nervously.

"Well, you did help us figure out that Team Immortal was located below the basement. That counts as help, right?" Aly smiled and nodded.

"What's going on with the Police?" Justin asked.

"Officer Jenny and her crew are investigating the scene. Many more details are coming up about the start of their plan, where they might be, etc." Seth explained.

"I see."

"So Justin, have you figured out whom that Hades is and how he might know you?"

"I haven't gotten the slightest clue..." Justin replied. "I'm sure with Team Immortal still out there that we'll run into him again. Hopefully, I will have a better idea by then."

"I hope you figure it out. Oh yeah, as part of my gratitude, I would like to give you both one of these," Seth said as he pulled something from his inside jacket pocket. Out came 2 small square machines, one coloured blue and the other pink. The PokeNav logo was engraved on the top of the device.

"Are those PokeTabs?" Aly asked surprised.

"Yep, I would like both of you to have one. I assume you guys came looking for these in the first place yes? I'm sure they'll help you on your journey!" Seth exclaimed.

"Wow, this is awesome! Thanks Seth!" Justin said. He and Aly received the PokeTabs from Seth and powered them on.

"It currently has the map, radio, Pokemon condition and match call apps installed. There are additional apps to download when you come across them on your journey."

"Wow, this is really cool. Thank you so much Seth!" Aly remarked.

"Anytime! Oh yeah, I heard you're challenging the Gym Leader here eh Justin?" Seth remarked.

"Yep, it's what I originally planned to do before this whole mess."

"I see. Well good luck, the leader is pretty strong and no push over."

"Got it, thanks Seth!"

As Seth left and said his goodbyes, Justin and Aly walked back into the treatment room with all their Pokemon.

"You ready for tomorrow?" Aly asked.

"Oh hells yeah! I'm going to win my second gym badge!" Justin exclaimed loudly doing his signature celebration. Aly and the Pokemon just laughed at the sight. Tomorrow will be a big day, as Justin competes for his 2nd Minero League badge.


	12. Chapter 12 - A Heated Gym Battle

_**A/N: Apologies for another late chapter posting. School once again has taken over my life lol. Anyways, here's the newest chapter: Justin's 2nd Gym Battle.**_

**Chapter 12: A Heated Gym Battle**

"ALL RIGHT! I'M READY FOR MY NEXT GYM BADGE!" Justin shouted at the top of his lungs from his bedroom. Eevee jumped up into the air from the bed in shock, awakened from its lovely slumber by Justin's loud announcement. It landed on the floor hard with its face planted on the ground.

"Whoops, sorry Eevee...heh-heh."

"Vy..." Eevee mumbled, shaking its head.

"All right, let's say we wash up, wake up Aly, have breakfast and go challenge the Gym!"

It was early morning of the day Justin finally challenged the Ruby City gym. It was weird because he never got up early...except for gym battles. Both Justin and Aly had stayed in the Pokemon Centre's bedrooms for the night. Justin got dressed, packed all his things, washed up and ran out the door with Eevee perched on his shoulder. He walked right next door to Aly's room and knocked on the door heavily.

"Aly! Let's go!" Justin shouted. Aly instantly opened the door to confront him.

"Holy cow, can you be any louder?" Aly moaned groggily, obviously still tired.

"C'mon, hurry up so we can eat some breakfast and then go the Ruby Gym!"

"Not that hungry now. I'll just meet you in the main lobby."

"Ok, see ya then!" Aly then slammed the door shut, creating a small wind that blew at Justin's face.

"Wow, Girls. They're so dramatic sometimes eh?" Justin asked Eevee.

"Vy..." Eevee shot back, giving him sass by looking the other way.

"Hey, what did I say?!"

* * *

Justin had just finished eating breakfast at the diner hall. He let Torchic and Mudkip out of their Pokeballs to get a small bite before the gym battle. They all walked towards the main lobby and sat on a couch while waiting for Aly.

"All right guys, we've been training real hard for this moment. Our goal today is to get that Gym badge, so I'm counting on every one of you," Justin stated with some energy.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out confidently.

"Mud-kip!" Mudkip added.

Once Justin looked at Torchic, he saw the chick Pokemon staring out the window, looking at god-who-knows-what.

"Torchic! Did ya hear me?"

"Tor-...Tor-chic!" Torchic quickly replied, focusing back on its trainer.

"...Anyways, let's give it our best!" Justin exclaimed. He then returned Torchic and Mudkip back to their respective Pokeballs. Moments later, Aly made her way to the lobby and met up with Justin.

"You ready?" She asked him.

"Always," Justin replied, giving thumbs up and a wink.

* * *

Justin and Aly arrived at front of the Ruby gym. It had been 2 days since the incident with Team Immortal. Justin was initially going to challenge the gym the day after that fiasco, but decided to let his Pokemon rest a bit more. The group walked through the red doors and entered into the gym arena. Not much was different from the Amethyst Gym with the exception of no main lobby room in this one. It was just a regular battle arena with an upper level of seats on the side for spectators. Justin and Aly looked around to find that no one else was there.

"Hello! Anyone home?!" Justin shouted out in the empty area. Just then, a girl walked out from a door to their left in her PJ's and yawned out loud.

"Can I help you...?" She moaned groggily.

"Um, I'm here to battle the gym leader to earn my 2nd badge."

"Isn't it a bit too early for...oh wait, what time is it?"

"It's like, 10 o'clock." Aly remarked.

"AW MAN, I overslept again!" the girl exclaimed dramatically.

"...what?" Justin said, confused as ever.

"...I'm sorry, let me introduce myself. My name is Maggie, and I'm the gym leader here!"

"Wait, you're the gym leader?" Aly asked.

"Sure am!"

"Well Maggie, My name is Justin Riser. I challenge you to a gym battle!" Justin announced.

"I accept your challenge Justin...but, you're going to have to wait a little bit. As you can see, I sort of just got up," Maggie said, as she started laughing, embarrassed of the situation.

Justin, Aly and Eevee looked at each other, trying to figure out what had just happened.

"I'll be back in a jiffy!" Maggie exclaimed as she ran back through the side door.

"You know Justin; she's a lot like you." Aly giggled.

* * *

Moments later, Maggie entered through the doors wearing a red crop top and blue jeans shorts.

"Now, let's get this battle underway!" She exclaimed. Aly went to the spectator stands and let out all her Pokemon so they can cheer for Justin. The battlefield was a normal smooth dirt field with white lines indicating the boundaries. Justin and Eevee entered their side of the arena. The battle judge came out from side doors and made his way to his platform on the right boundary line.

"The battle at the Ruby City Gym between the Gym Leader, Maggie, and the Challenger, Justin from Revo Town, is about to begin! Both participants can use up to 3 Pokemon, and only the challenger will be allowed substitutions. Now trainers choose your Pokemon!" The battle judge announced.

"Go Torkoal!" Maggie shouted as she threw her Pokeball in the air. Out came an orange turtle Pokemon with a black shell that shot out black smoke.

"Tor-koal!" Torkoal cried out.

"Torkoal eh? That's a sick Pokemon! Ok, I choose you, Mudkip!" Justin shouted as he threw his Pokeball which released Mudkip

"Now that both Pokemon are out, let the battle begin!"

"All right, Mudkip let's go! Use your tackle attack!" Justin commanded.

Mudkip began to charge head on towards Torkoal.

"Torkoal, iron defense!" Maggie commanded.

Torkoal shell shined brightly as it hid into it to defend itself. Mudkip tackled it, but easily bounced back, doing more damage to itself rather than Torkoal.

"Mudkip, use mud slap!" Justin commanded. Mudkip used one of its fin paws to sweep the ground. Dark brown mud formed from its fin paws and headed for Torkoal.

"Torkoal, hide in your shell!" Maggie commanded.

Torkoal hid into its shell again, repelling Mudkip's attack.

"Nothing I do is working!" Justin exclaimed.

"We got you now! Torkoal, use sludge bomb!" Maggie commanded.

"Tor-koal!" Torkoal cried out. It then shot out dark sludge balls at Mudkip. Mudkip was able to dodge the first few, but then got hit in the face with one, sending it backwards towards Justin.

"Mudkip, hang in there!" Justin called out.

"Mud-kip!" Mudkip cried out, wiping the sludge from its eyes.

"Wow, this is so much fun! Torkoal, use flamethrower!" Maggie commanded. Torkoal release a stream of fire towards Mudkip.

"Mudkip, use your water gun to counter!" Justin commanded. Mudkip shot out a stream of water to counter the flamethrower. The 2 attacks collided, which then created a steam cloud around the arena.

"I can't see through this!" Justin exclaimed as he tried to find Torkoal. Just then, the steam cloud dissipated.

"_There must be another way..." _Justin thought. All of a sudden, an idea popped into his head.

"Mudkip, use your water gun again!"

Mudkip then released another water gun attack towards Torkoal.

"Torkoal, hide in your shell again!" Maggie commanded. Torkoal hid in its shell again, and the water just reflected off the shell.

"Keep up the attack Mudkip, and get close to Torkoal!" Justin called out.

Mudkip kept shooting water from its mouth while running close to Torkoal until it was right beside it.

"No matter how close you get, my Torkoal is too well protected!" Maggie explained.

"Not this time! Mudkip, no use Mud slap and sweep up Torkoal onto its back!" Justin commanded.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out. Just as it swept on the ground with its fin paw, it got under the shell of Torkoal and flipped the turtle Pokemon over while getting the attack into a hole of its shell. Mud also shot into the hole of the shell where Torkoal's head pops out

"Tor, Tor-koal!" Torkoal cried out. It was on the back of its shell, flailing around to try to bring itself back on the ground. Its face was covered in mud as well

"Oh no, Torkoal!" Maggie cried out.

"Now that it's out and vulnerable, Mudkip use your Water Gun!" Justin commanded.

Mudkip released another stream of water at Torkoal. With Torkoal's vulnerable, it took the super effective attack right on. Torkoal flew backwards and landed on its stomach, unable to continue.

"Torkoal is unable to battle, which means that Mudkip is the winner!" The battle judge announced.

"Way to go Mudkip!" Justin called out.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out happily, looking back at its trainer.

"Yay! He beat the first one!" Aly said cheerfully. Squirtle and Vulpix were cheering beside her.

Maggie got out Torkoal Pokeball and recalled her fallen Pokemon.

"Torkoal, you were great. Get a good rest." She said to the Pokeball. She exchanged it with another Pokeball from her belt and threw it in the air. Out came a small dog-like Pokemon that was orange with black stripes.

"Grow!" It growled.

"A Growlithe! This is so cool!" Justin exclaimed.

"I know right! Growlithe is such an awesome member of my team! It won't be easy!"

"All right, on with the battle!" the judge announced.

"Growlithe, use your take down attack!" Maggie commanded.

Growlithe started to charge head on towards Mudkip.

"Mudkip, dodge that!" Justin commanded. Mudkip just jumped out of the way of Growlithe.

"Now use Water gun!"

Mudkip turned around to face Growlithe and released a water gun attack. It hit Growlithe straight on, which Growlithe cried out in pain.

"Keep on going Justin!" Aly cheered. Growlithe quickly got up to its feet

"Now use your tackle attack!" Justin commanded. Mudkip started to run and charge at Growlithe. It hit the orange dog Pokemon hard, which sent it back towards Maggie. Growlithe slowly got up after that.

"Hmm, this seems so easy...How come Maggie isn't doing anything?" Aly said to herself in the stands

"What gives? This has been easy! Whatever, now Mudkip, finish this off with one more water gun!" Justin commanded.

Mudkip then began to charge its water gun attack. Maggie strung a cunning smile.

"Now Growlithe, use attract!" She commanded.

Growlithe jumped up into the air and locked eyes with Mudkip. It gave out a flirty wink which caused hearts to appear and float towards Mudkip. It circled the mud fish Pokemon before making contact with it. Mudkip suddenly had hearts in its eyes and acted all lovey-dovey.

"Wait, what?!" Justin exclaimed.

"Mud...kip..." Mudkip cried out in a soft and sweet voice.

"Looks like your Mudkip is all dazed and confused. Thanks to Growlithe's attract, Mudkip has fallen for my Growlithe, so it'll never attack her! Awesome, huh?" Maggie explained.

"This must have been her plan from the start...c'mon Justin..." Aly remarked.

"Mudkip! C'mon man! Snap out of it!" Justin called out. But Mudkip wouldn't listen. It just swayed back and forth with hearts on its eyes.

"Now Growlithe, it's time to fight back! Use your flamethrower attack!" Maggie commanded. Growlithe released a stream of fire that hit Mudkip right on, sending it backwards.

"Mudkip!" Justin cried out.

"Growlithe, finish this up with Take Down!"

Growlithe charged straight towards Mudkip, hitting hit hard and sending it towards the back wall. Mudkip dropped to the floor and didn't get back up.

"Mudkip is unable to battle, Growlithe wins!" the battle judge announced.

"Mudkip!" Justin called out as he rushed to the aid of his Pokemon. He lifted it in his arms as Mudkip regained its sight back.

"You ok pal?"

"Mud..." Mudkip said weakly.

"You were awesome, take a good rest." Justin said. He then walked over to Aly in the stands

"Aly, will you hold on to Mudkip?" He asked her.

"Umm...sure," Aly replied accepting Mudkip from him into her arms.

"I want Mudkip to help cheer us on and see when we win!"

"Gotcha! Keep on going Justin!" Justin smiled and walked back to his side of the arena.

"This battle is sooo great! The passion in this battle is amazing! You're not half bad Justin!" Maggie exclaimed towards the ceiling.

"Right back at you Maggie!" Justin then looked down at Eevee.

"All right Eevee, it's your turn now!"

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out as it entered the battle ring. The battle judge saw Eevee arrive on the field and looked back to the centre of the arena

"Now that we have 2 Pokemon, let the battle-"

"Oh my god! You're Eevee is so adorable! It's so awesome!" Maggie exclaimed as she interrupted the battle judge.

"Right?! Eevee was my first Pokemon and a real special one too!" Justin added.

"No way! That's so cool, I can't wait-. "The 2 continued to praise Eevee to the point that they forgot about the battle. Eevee, Aly, her Pokemon and the battle judge sighed in disbelief.

"...they're totally the same..." Aly muttered. Her Pokemon and Mudkip gave a little laugh.

"Excuse me people! There's a battle happening right now!" The battle judge announced. Justin and Maggie stopped talking as they realized that fact.

"Oh yeah...ha-ha. My bad. All right, back to the battle! Eevee, use Shadow Ball!" Justin commanded.

"Puh-Phvy!" Eevee cried out as it formed a ball of shadow magic and hurled it at Growlithe.

"Growlithe, use flamethrower!" Maggie commanded.

"Grow!" Growlithe roared as it countered with its flamethrower attack. The 2 attacks collided, creating a mini smoke explosion that subsided quickly.

"Eevee, use Dig!" Justin called out. Eevee then jumped and dug itself into a hole in the ground.

"Careful Growlithe, Eevee can pop up anywhere at any time!" Maggie warned. Growlithe relaxed itself and tuned in to its hearing senses. Once it heard a small rumbling from below it, Growlithe jumped out of the way. Eevee popped out of the ground where Growlithe was, but missed.

"Growlithe, Take down!" Maggie commanded.

Growlithe charged straight at Eevee, hitting it hard and sending it to the other side of the ring.

"Hang in there Eevee!" Justin shouted. Eevee quickly got up though.

"Nice, now use Shadow Ball again!"

Eevee conjured up another ball of shadow energy and hurled it at Growlithe.

"Growlithe, counter it with flamethrower!" Maggie commanded.

Growlithe let loose another flamethrower attack, which collided with the shadow ball and caused an even bigger smoke explosion.

"Ahh, I can't see!" Maggie cried out.

"Eevee, quickly, use dig." Justin commanded.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out as it dug into the ground again. Once the smoke passed away, Maggie and Growlithe were both shocked not to see Eevee there.

"Wait, where did Eevee go?" Maggie exclaimed.

"Now Eevee!" Justin shouted. Eevee popped up from the ground right under Growlithe, sending a super effective attack at it. Growlithe flew up and backwards near Maggie and landed hard on the ground.

"Growlithe!" Maggie called out in worriment. Growlithe slowly got up to its feet.

"Finish this with Tackle!" Justin commanded. Eevee got ready to charge right at Growlithe.

"Not so fast! Growlithe, use attract!" Maggie commanded.

"Grow!" Growlithe roared as it gave a flirty wink at Eevee. Hearts formed in the air and made its way to Eevee.

"Eevee!" Justin shouted. As the hearts made contact with Eevee, it glittered in a bright light for a bit. Justin was ready to snap Eevee out of it, but then realized something. Eevee was not all wobbly and dazed like Mudkip was before. It quickly looked back at Justin and smiled. Its eyes still had a competitive fire in them.

"What?! Don't tell me..." Maggie exclaimed.

"It didn't work! Which means Eevee is a girl! That must be why Justin put out Eevee!" Aly exclaimed.

"Wow...Eevee's a girl? Who knew?" Justin remarked as he started to laugh embarrasingly. Aly, Squirtle, Vulpix, Mudkip and Eevee dropped to the floor in disbelief.

"...now that's same old, naive Justin I know," Aly said as she got back to her seat.

"I guess that explains why Eevee gave me sass when I made that comment about girls this morning, haha!" Justin said playfully as he chuckled a bit more.

"Justin, c'mon, you're still in a battle!" Aly shouted at him.

"Oh, right! All right Eevee, use Iron Tail!"

"Puh-Phvy!" Eevee cried out as its tail started to light up. It jumped in the air and angled its tail so it would slam down on Growlithe.

"Growlithe, dodge it!" Maggie commanded. Growlithe tried to get out of the way, but was too late as Eevee's tail made contact with Growlithe and slammed it to the ground. Growlithe tried to get back up, but collapsed to the ground letting out a faint cry.

"Growlithe is unable to battle! Eevee is the winner!" The battle judge announced.

"Great job Eevee!" Justin called out.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee purred happily. Aly and the Pokemon in the stands cheered loudly.

"Just one more and then he's good!" Aly said to the Pokemon. Squirtle, Vulpix and Mudkip cheered louder than before.

Maggie grabbed out Growlithe's Pokeball to return the fallen Pokemon. "_This battle has been awesome. Its non-stop action with both trainers really fired up. It figures for a Fire Type Gym." _She thought to herself.

"Growlithe, get a good rest." She quietly said. She put it away and grabbed her final Pokeball.

"Nice battling so far Justin! You're really giving it your all!" Maggie said with a surprisingly serious tone. It caught Justin off guard a little.

"Oh, uh...thanks Maggie, you're doing well too!" Justin replied.

"But, this last battle is no picnic. And you're about to see why." She remarked as she threw the Pokeball into the air. Out came an orange monkey like Pokemon with a white spiked mane, blue marking above its eyes and a flame lit on its tail.

"Wow, I think that's a Monferno!" Justin exclaimed as he got out his Pokedex.

"_**Monferno, the playful Pokemon. It skillfully controls the intensity of the fire on its tail to keep its foes at an ideal distance.**_" The Pokedex stated.

"This is so cool! I'm excited to see it in battle!"

"You better be focused and ready to battle if you want to win!" Maggie remarked. Justin noticed that she had a more serious persona now. Probably because she was down to her last Pokemon.

"I am! All right Eevee; use you Shadow Ball attack!" Justin commanded. Eevee conjured up another Shadow ball and hurled it at Monferno.

"Take it Monferno!" Maggie commanded.

Monferno raised its arms in a cross and took the blow of the attack. The force shifted Monferno backwards a bit, but was still on its feet.

"Ok, let's try by using Iron tail!" Justin commanded.

Eevee's tail started to light up as it jumped into the air. It somersaulted and positioned itself to slam its tail on Monferno.

"Monferno, use Mach Punch!" Maggie commanded.

"Monferno!" Monferno cried out as it quickly jumped up in the air. Its fist lit up and swiftly punched Eevee's face before the Iron Tail made contact with it. Eevee fell down and landed on its back

"Eevee! Are you all right?" Justin called out. Eevee slowly got up and nodded.

"Ok, use Dig!"

"Eevee dug into the ground to try and sneak attack Monferno.

"Keep your guard up Monferno!" Maggie said. Monferno raised its concentration to find where Eevee might appear. It then heard rumbling from the ground behind it. It quickly turned the other and saw Eevee pop up.

"Use Shadow Ball!" Justin commanded

"Flamethrower!" Maggie cried out.

Eevee and Monferno both launched their attacks at each other. They both got hit by them and flew backwards towards their respective trainers.

"Get up Eevee, you can do it!" Justin shouted out. Eevee slowly got up to its feet, clearly fatigued. Monferno got up more quickly, still having tons of energy.

"All right, let's go one more time. Eevee, tackle attack!"

"Ee-vee!" Eevee cried out as it charged on ahead.

"Monferno, Mach Punch." Maggie said calmly.

"Mon-ferno!" Monferno roared out as its fist lit up. With a full burst of speed, it dashed towards Eevee and punched it on the side. Eevee was knocked over to the side near the judge, its eyes having swirls.

"Eevee, is unable to battle, Monferno is the winner!" the battle judge announced.

Justin ran up to Eevee and picked it up in his arms.

"Eevee, you ok?"Justin asked concernedly

"Ee-vy..." Eevee said softly.

"You were amazing. Take a good rest," Justin said with a wink. He then walked up to Aly to give her his Pokemon. Aly settled down Mudkip, who was feeling better, on the side with Vulpix to hold Eevee.

"I'm going to need your guys' help. Can you cheer hard for me?" Justin asked.

"You can count on us!" Aly said confidently. All the Pokemon agreed as they cried out in their respective tongue. Justin then walked back to his corner.

"Well Maggie, this is my last Pokemon, and I'm going to give it my all! Justin said.

"That's the spirit Justin! Keep up that fiery spirit!" Maggie stated.

"I choose you, Torchic!"

Justin's Pokeball opened up and out came Torchic. It yawned and scratched its side with its leg. Torchic looked like it had just woken up from a nap

"C'mon Torchic we need to battle now!" Justin called out.

"Tor-chic," it chirped softly.

"Oh man...,"Justin slapped his hand on his forehead and shook his head.

"Wow, a day sure does make a difference. Torchic was adventurous and brave yesterday, and now is back to its old spaced-out self today." Aly remarked.

"...Oh whatever, Torchic and I can win this battle! So get ready for a real match!" Justin stated loudly.

"...All right! Monferno, use Mach Punch!" Maggie commanded. Monferno jumped into the air and dove towards Torchic with its fist lit up.

"Torchic, dodge it!" Justin commanded.

Torchic was looking on the ground. It was admiring the series of rocks and gravel on the ground from the previous dig attacks. All of a sudden, it felt a punch on its face that sent it flying backwards and passed Justin against the back wall.

"Torchic, c'mon, I need you to get up!" Justin called out. Torchic slowly got up and walked casually back to the battlefield.

"That's it. Now Torchic, use ember!"

"Tor-chic!" Torchic cried out as it released fire balls from its mouth towards Monferno

"Monferno, use flamethrower!" Maggie commanded. Monferno shot out a stream of fire from its mouth to counter Torchic's ember. The 2 attacks collided and created a mini smoke explosion. It subsided pretty quickly, but Maggie suddenly caught sight of Torchic running towards Monferno.

"Now Torchic, use Peck!" Justin commanded.

Torchic's beak was lit up and was ready to peck at Monferno. Monferno froze at that moment. The attack was going to hit it, but Torchic tripped onto the ground and rolled in the direction of Monferno.

"Monferno, Mach Punch!" Maggie commanded.

"Monferno!" Monferno cried out as it lit up its fist and punched the rolled up Torchic backwards and onto the ground.

"Torchic!" Justin called out.

"Now use flame wheel!" Maggie commanded. Monferno engulfed itself in flames and started to roll on the spot. It then rolled right towards Torchic and sent it flying back towards the same wall it hit previously.

"I got you Torchic!" Justin shouted as he jumped in the way and intercepted Torchic from hitting the wall. The speed of Torchic caused Justin to crash into the wall, but he shielded his Pokemon.

"Justin!" Aly called out from the stands.

"Aghh...are you all right Torchic?" Justin asked brokenly.

"Tor-..." Torchic replied softly. It looked up at its trainer with its eyes tearing up a bit.

"Don't worry buddy. I got you." Justin smiled. He then grimaced as he felt pain in his back.

"Tor-chic!" Torchic chirped as it was worried about its trainer.

"I'll be fine Torchic. But my, you're having a bit of an off day today, aren't ya?" Torchic looked down in sorrow.

"Hey, it's ok. Everyone has off days once in awhile." Justin said softly. "Torchic...you may be a bit out there, but you're still one of my Pokemon. It's my job to take care of you and help you grow. Now, let's try our best and see if we can win this badge. What do ya say?"

Torchic sorrow then turned into determination. It nodded confidently.

"Go get 'em Torchic!" Aly shouted out. The Pokemon on the sidelines cheered their fellow comrade.

"Remember yesterday with Team Immortal? Let's see if we can get that side of you back!" Justin stated.

"Tor!" Torchic chirped. It then quickly got up from Justin's lap and ran back into the battlefield.

"All right Maggie, let's see what else you got?" Justin called out.

"Oh I'll show you! Monferno, mach punch!" Maggie commanded. Monferno quickly dashed in the direction of Torchic with its fist lit up.

"Torchic, keep calm and let it come towards you!" Justin commanded. Torchic nodded and focused in on the oncoming Monferno. Once it was close enough, Justin quickly reacted.

"Torchic, sand attack!"

Torchic swept its leg up and carried some sand with it. It landed in the face of Monferno, which caused it to stop in its tracks and grab for its face.

"Oh no, Monferno!" Maggie called out.

"Now, use your peck attack!" Justin commanded. Torchic made its beak light up and started to peck away at Monferno. It was a super effective attack which Monferno felt and knocked it to the side.

"All right! Great job Torchic!"

"Hmm, perhaps I underestimated this Pokemon. That won't happen again!" Maggie smirked. "Now, Monferno, get up and use your flame wheel!"

"Monferno!" Monferno cried out. It then somersaulted into a flame wheel and rolled right at Torchic.

"Torchic, get out of the way!" Justin commanded. Torchic started to run to the side, but the flame wheel was too fast and ran into Torchic, sending backwards near Justin. It stayed down for awhile.

"Torchic, c'mon pal! I know you can do it!" Justin called out. Torchic started to slowly get up.

"Justin, you put up a good fight, but it seems my fiery spirit has overcome yours. Its over!" Maggie said.

"No way, I'm not giving up! And neither is Torchic!" Justin shouted.

"Torchic!" Torchic chirped out as it stood back on its feet.

"Wow, you guys sure are something! Man, this a great heated battle!" Maggie remarked

"You betcha. But now, here's the comeback from us!" Justin called out.

"Torchic!" Torchic cried out loudly. It then illuminated brightly until it entire body was surrounded by a white light.

"Wait, what?" Justin stated.

"No way!" Maggie exclaimed.

Justin watched as Torchic's body grew and changed before her eyes. The white light disappeared and a tall, bird like Pokemon with a yellow upper body, orange lower body, grey feet and long claws.

"Com-busken!" the new Pokemon cried out.

"WOW! Torchic evolved into Combusken!" Justin exclaimed. Combusken then got into a fighting stance, raring to go with its opponent.

"Combusken looks tougher and stronger." Aly remarked.

"Whoa, didn't see this coming. But look at that Combusken! Amazing!" Maggie said to herself.

"All right Combusken; let's show these guys what you can do!" Justin said.

"Com-Busk!" Combusken cried out.

"Now, use your ember!"

Combusken leaned back a bit and then shot out an even larger stream of fire from its mouth.

"Wow, that's a more powerful fire attack...must be flamethrower!"

"Monferno, use your flamethrower too!" Maggie commanded.

Monferno released its flamethrower attack as well, colliding with Combusken's. The 2 attacks were fighting each other out as they took turns pushing back and forth. After awhile it was Combusken's flamethrower that pushed back Monferno's and eventually hit the Monkey Pokemon. It created a mini smoke explosion and caused Monferno to be sent backwards.

"Monferno!" Maggie called out. Monferno then slowly got up.

"Ok, use Flame Wheel!"

Monferno surrounded itself in flames and started to somersault on the spot. It then began to roll in the direction of Combusken.

"Combusken, show off your new strength and catch it!" Justin commanded. Combusken focused in on Monferno and positioned itself carefully. Once the flame wheel got close, Combusken quickly moved its arms in together and caught Monferno on the spot in its claws. Monferno began to squirm around in order to free itself.

"Now, use Peck!"

Combusken bobbed itself forward and pecked Monferno hard. It flew backwards but managed to land on its feet.

"Now, let's finish this with a new move. Use Sky Uppercut!" Justin commanded.

"Com-busken!" Combusken cried out. It then ran swiftly towards Monferno with its claws lit up.

"Monferno, use Mach Punch!" Maggie commanded.

"Monferno!" Monferno cried out as it charged towards Combusken with its fist lit up. The 2 Pokemon ran in close and threw their punches. Both attacks met head on, causing a razor wind storm to occur. Everyone in the room braced themselves for the wind by covering their faces with their arms.

Combusken and Monferno weren't giving up and continued to push through with the attacks. After awhile, a smoke explosion was created that blanketed the whole arena. Everyone covered their faces from the black smoke until it subsided. Combusken and Monferno were standing face to face with a good distance apart and a determined look on their face.

"Looks like a draw!" Maggie called out.

"I wouldn't count on it!" Justin smirked. Combusken let out a sneaky smile too.

"Mon..." Monferno softly cried out as it began to fall down. It landed on the ground and let out a faint cry, signalling its defeat.

"Monferno is unable to battle, so Combusken wins! Which means the victory goes to Justin of Revo Town!" the Battle judge announced.

"ALL RIGHT!" Justin shouted as he celebrated joyfully.

"HE DID IT!" Aly remarked as she clasped her hands together. Squirtle and Vulpix began to cheer and jump up and down for joy. Eevee and Mudkip jumped onto the battle field and ran towards Justin. They jumped into his arms and cheered gleefully.

"We did it guys!" Justin said to the 2. He then walked over to Combusken.

"Combusken, you were amazing. Thanks for everything!' Justin said gratefully.

"Com-busken!" Combusken cried out happily.

Maggie walked up to her Monferno and picked it up in her arms.

"Monferno, are you ok?" she asked it.

"Mon...,"Monferno replied weakly.

"You were great Monferno! Your fire has never burned brighter. You deserve a good rest." Maggie said as she brought out its Pokeball and returned her Pokemon. Maggie then walked up to Justin's side.

"Hey Justin." She said. Justin heard her and stood up to face her.

"That was one of the most intense battles I've ever been a part of! Your inner fire burned brightly! It was a battle I'll definitely remember!"

"That means a lot Maggie, thanks." Justin smiled.

"Well, as proof of your victory today, I present you with this Ruby badge." She said as she pulled out a red square badge from her pocket and handed it to him.

"Wow, this is awesome. Thanks Maggie!" Justin took the badge from her hand and showed it to his Pokemon.

"Look guys, we got ourselves a Ruby badge! Isn't this exciting?" He said to his Pokemon. Eevee, Combusken and Mudkip examined the badge and cried out happily. Aly and her 2 Pokemon came down onto the battlefield and walked up to him.

"That was a great battle Justin! Congratulations!" She said to him.

Thanks Aly! It was also thanks to your support that I was able to win!"

* * *

Justin, Aly and Maggie stood outside the gym with Eevee and Squirtle in their usual spots.

"Well Justin, if you're looking for another gym battle, there's one over at Zircon City!" Maggie explained. Aly got out her Poketab to check out the where it was.

"Ok, that's just northwest of here!" Aly exclaimed.

"Yep, you'll be passing by Coppertown first. Then you'll have to hike around Courage Mountain before reaching Zircon city."

"Sounds good!" Justin remarked.

"Well, good luck to you both on your journey! And Justin, keep working hard and you'll be entering the Minero League soon!"

"Thanks a lot Maggie!" Both Justin and Aly responded. They all exchanged farewells before Justin and Aly began to walk away from the gym. They continued down the road towards the end of the city and entrance of West Route 402.

"Well, we got stopped Team Immortal, got our Poke-Tabs and you won your gym badge! I'd say it was a pretty eventful stay here!" Aly exclaimed.

"Tell me about it! But now, we got to move on. C'mon, let's get a move on!" Justin cried out as he began to run down the road.

"HEY! WAIT FOR ME!" Aly called out as she chased after him. Both trainers ready to face the new challenges that await them.

_**A/N: A thank you to those who continue to read my story. I realize I may not be the best writer, but I'm trying to become a better one with each chapter I write. _**Hope you're enjoying it as much as I enjoy writing it!**_**_


	13. Chapter 13 - A Shocking Experience

**Chapter 13: A Shocking Experience**

Justin and Aly peacefully sat on the ground under a white picnic cloth while eating food they bought from Ruby City. Eevee, Squirtle, Combusken, Mudkip and Vulpix sat on another cloth beside their trainers and ate their food as well.

"Man, we've been through a lot the few weeks we've been travelling together eh?" Justin asked.

"I know! We got some new Pokemon, met some new people, encountered Team Immortal unfortunately, and much more. And we've only explored a small bit of Minero!" Aly remarked.

"Yep, I'm already a quarter of the way there until the Minero League! 2 down, 6 more to go!"

"Well, I guess we should get going now. According to the Map on my PokeTab, there's a Pokemon Centre down this road. If we walk now, we should reach there in about half an hour."

Justin and Aly finished their meals, folded the cloths and packed their bags. Justin and Aly recalled their Pokemon to their Pokeballs except for Eevee and Squirtle, who went to their respective trainers. Once ready, they got back on the path. Route 402 wasn't any different from what they've been seeing in Minero so far. There was however less grass then before and more dirt in the open areas. It was a little cooler today with a brisk wind blowing in the air. Justin was fine thanks to his grey jacket while Aly put on a black hoodie she had in her bag. Eevee and Squirtle decided to walk ahead rather than in their usual places.

"Do you know what kind of wild Pokemon are around here?" Justin curiously asked.

"The Pokedex said there were Swablus, Elekids, Shinxs, and Electrikes here." Aly replied.

"That's a lot of electric type Pokemon...I THINK I'M GOING TO CATCH ONE!" Justin shouted the last bit out loud. Aly, Eevee and Squirtle covered their ears because of the high volume.

"One, do you have to be so loud? And two, we don't have any Pokeballs on us because YOU forgot to buy them when we went shopping."

"I can't help it that I get loud when I'm exci-...Wait, we're out of Pokeballs?" Justin's eyes began to let out tears as he dropped to his knees with his head sulked.

"Eevee, once again, your trainer is so dramatic." Aly noted.

"Vuie..." Eevee shook its head in disbelief.

Just then, there was the sound of footsteps behind the group. Justin and Aly looked around to see who it was. It was a familiar face, much to Justin's and Eevee's dismay.

"... It's Ron." Justin stated. Eevee stood in its place and just looked at Ron, rather than running back to its trainer, frightened like last time.

"Oh great...it's you guys again." He remarked coldly. He then caught the sight of Eevee below Justin.

"...So, you're still with that Eevee huh? I guess you're not a good learner." Eevee shot an irritated look at him. Justin walked up to Eevee and picked it up in his arms.

"I already told you, Eevee is a great Pokemon. She's works hard and is always ready to battle."

"Really now. Seeing you being soft with your Pokemon shows how hopeless you are."

"Why you..." Justin growled angrily at Ron. He raised his fist, ready to fight before feeling Aly's hand on his shoulder. He turned towards her and watched her shake her head, telling him not to get worked up. He smiled at her and released his tension.

"Why do you have such a cynical outlook on Pokemon? I don't get it...did something happen to you before?" Justin asked.

"That's none of your business..." Ron shot back harshly. Justin and Aly jolted a bit from his tone.

"I think we hit a nerve..." Aly said.

"How many badges to you have?" Ron asked nonchalantly.

"Me?" Justin answered.

"No, you're sister. Of course you!"

"Oh yeah, my bad hahaha" Justin began to laugh a bit, putting on a happier expression. Aly and Squirtle sighed in disbelief while Ron got even more irritated than he already was. "I have 2 badges! You?"

"Same here... why don't we battle to find out who's stronger?" Ron asked while taking a Pokeball from his belt.

"Sure! We're always up for a battle. Right, Eevee?" Justin said while looking down at Eevee. Eevee smiled and nodded back at him.

"So you're battling with that thing again? It'll end the same way it did last time." Ron remarked as he walked back to give distance for the battle. Eevee ran in front and got into a stance ready for battle.

"We'll see about that. Eevee is much stronger from the last time we faced off!" Justin cried out. Eevee backed its trainer up with a battle cry.

"I could say the same for my Pokemon. Magby, prepare yourself for battle!" Ron shouted out as he threw his Pokemon in the air and released his Magby.

"Mag-by!" It cried out while shooting flames in the air.

"Wow, your Magby looks even stronger. Can't wait to face it!" Justin exclaimed.

"Ugh...let's just battle now! Magby, use your-"

Ron was interrupted by a loud boom noise. It was so loud that it shook the ground, causing everyone to stumble in their place.

"What was that?" Aly gasped. Dark thunder clouds formed in the sky as thunder rumbled above.

"Weird. I know it was cool outside...but it doesn't suddenly turn into this weather." Justin remarked. It was then that a yellow lightning bolt came from the sky and struck the middle of the battle area. Its impact created a strong wind that sent Magby, Ron, Eevee and Justin backwards. Ron and Magby landed on their feet while the other pair landed on their butts.

"Well, this was certainly unexpected," Ron remarked nonchalantly.

"Hey Ron, I think we need to call off our battle for now. We need to find a place to settle for now until this storm passes. Come with us for now." Justin called out.

"Fine..." Ron returned Magby to its Pokeball and then followed Justin and Aly to find someplace safe from the incoming storm. Eevee and Squirtle went back to their respective trainers as well. As they ran, Aly spotted something to her right. It caused her to stop in her tracks and look. Justin and Ron stopped behind her.

"What is it Aly?" Justin asked.

"...Look...Look there..." Aly replied as she pointed to her right, shaking in disbelief. Justin and Ron looked in the same direction and gasped. Spotted was a yellow tiger-like Pokemon that had a dark grey cloud-like mane and large white fangs.

"That's...that's..." Justin quickly took out his Pokedex.

"_**Raikou, the Thunder Pokemon. **__**It is said to have fallen with lightning. It can fire thunderbolts from the rain clouds on its back." **_The Pokedex stated.

"The legendary Pokemon, Raikou! One of the three legendary dogs! HOW COOL IS THIS!" Justin exclaimed.

"But wait...what's one doing here?" Aly wondered.

They then heard a motor noise coming from the distance. Raikou heard it and quickly fled the scene. A large jeep was coming down the dirt path. In the jeep were 2 figures that were dressed in black suits and wore shades. The vehicle zoomed right past Justin, Aly and Ron in a different direction that of Raikou's.

"I wonder what that was about. If they're chasing Raikou, they totally slipped." Justin said. The thunder clouds soon dissipated. Just then, another jeep came from the distance and drove in the group's direction. The driver stopped the vehicle near the group and looked out of the window using binoculars.

"Crap. I lost them..." The driver muttered. It was a man with a strong build wearing a blue sleeveless shirt. He then caught sight of the group and got out of his car to talk to them.

"Excuse me kids, have you seen a Raikou around?"

"Um, yeah...it was here like a minute ago. Another group of people came around too. It looked like they were chasing it, but went a completely different direction from where Raikou ran." Aly explained.

"Really? Well, it is them, so I guess we're ok for now." The guy chuckled before receiving a call from his walky-talky.

"Sir, we can confirm the bandits are no longer a threat to us for now. We'll update you later." The walky-talky stated.

"Sounds good. Good work!" The guy then put away his communication device.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked.

"Well, you see, this part of route 402 is home to a unique phenomenon called the Lightning Renewal. Every year around this time, lightning bolts strike down in a specific area of this route. Being part of the Electric Pokemon Protection Squad, EPPS, we thought we can utilize this event to help absorb some of the lightning and use it as a way for the wild electric type Pokemon to regain some energy and strength."

"Electric Pokemon Protection Squad?" Justin asked.

"Yes sir! My name is Darrell and I'm a chief officer of this institution. We're pretty well known around the Minero region. And with this area inhabited with many electric type Pokemon, we thought it would be good to set up a base in this area."

"Nice to meet you! My name is Aly!" Aly responded

"My name is Justin Riser!" Justin introduced himself.

"My name is Ron, nice to meet you." Ron stated. Justin and Aly looked at each other in disbelief of Ron's sudden politeness.

"So, Darrell, how is it that you use control this lightning?" Justin asked.

"Right! We were able to set up a bunch of different mechanisms so we can draw the lightning to one place, absorb it into a giant machine, and then create a pathway for it to safely transfer into a Pokémon's body, restoring their energy!" Darrell explained.

"That's awesome what you guys are doing!" Aly exclaimed.

"We usually get the normal electric type Pokemon around here, like the Elekids, Electrikes and Shinxs. We also open it to the public where trainers who have electric type Pokemon can use some of the machine's absorbed electricity to give their Pokemon and restore their juice. And of course, a Raikou started coming here too. It comes every now and then so were both familiar with each other. But, recently there have been some thieves who are after this Raikou so they can capture it for their own greedy reasons." Darrell added.

"Shouldn't you be after them?" Ron asked.

"Well...here's the thing. Those bandits...aren't exactly the brightest. We've run into them a few times before, but had no problem dealing with them. Half the time it's because they screw up. So, the fact they took a wrong direction doesn't surprise me!"

"Oh...kay..." Justin responded.

"Sounds a lot like you," Ron taunted at him.

"What did you say?!" Justin growled back. Ron just crossed his arms and looked the other way. Aly, Eevee and Squirtle all let out a sigh.

"I'm going to guess these 2 don't like each other much." Darrell asked Aly quietly.

"Well...they've been through quite a bit." Aly explained. Just then, Darrell's walky-talky rang.

"Darrell here!" He said as he picked up the device.

"Sir! The thieves are onto us again. Plus, Raikou is at the healing grounds and they know it's there! We need you to move out!" The voice stated.

"Done! On my way!" Darrell put his walky-talky back in his chest pocket. "I'm sorry kids, but that's my cue to go right now. Gotta do something about those thieves! Hahaha" He cried out chuckling.

"Excuse me Darrell...but, we'd like to help!" Aly exclaimed.

"What?"

"Yeah. Aly and I think it's awesome what you're doing. We don't want any disturbance with what the EPPS has going on now! We can help if you let us!" Justin explained.

"Hmmm...ah, what the heck. These criminals aren't that bright anyway, so they won't pose that much of a threat! You kids seem cool, so why not!" Darrell said in a rather cheerful voice. The 3 began to walk towards the jeep.

"Ron, you coming?" Justin stopped to ask. Ron just stood there for a moment to think.

"...I guess. It's not every day you get the chance to see a Raikou." Ryan stated.

All 4 of them hopped into the jeep and Darrel began to drive to the left. Darrell was driving faster than usual, which made the ride a little bumpy. Aly sat shotgun while Justin and Ron were in the backseat. All 3 of them held onto the sides of the car and their seatbelts. Eevee and Squirtle were on their trainer's laps, holding on to them for dear life. Darrell took a shortcut and drove into a nearby forest, which made the ride even more uneasy and rambunctious. There were a couple of close calls where Darrell drove into trees or logs. It wasn't long before they arrived back into the open dirt path.

"Uh, are you sure you should be driving this fast?!" Aly asked nervously.

"Well...we want to catch those thieves! Besides, this is fun! WOOHOO!" Darrell cried out cheerfully. After 10 minutes of a rather adventurous ride, they finally arrived at their destination. In the middle of nowhere, there was a tall, fully established building with glass windows and doors. Darrell parked the jeep right in front of the doors and the group quickly got out of the jeep. Eevee got back on Justin's shoulder while Aly carried Squirtle in her arms again.

"This is our main Route 402 headquarters. Inside are our research units, the healing grounds where electric Pokemon come, and much more! But, you'll get the full tour later. Right now we have to stop these thieves!" Darrell explained.

"Well, we better hurry. Because it seems the thieves are already inside." Aly mentioned as she pointed towards another vehicle to the right. Thunder became to rumble in the sky.

"And judging from the thunder clouds above, it seems Raikou is here as well." Justin said.

"Ee-vuie!' Eevee added.

"All right kids! Time to move out! HOO-HAA!" Darrell grunted loudly as he began to run through the main entrance. Justin, Aly and Ron followed in behind him. Once they entered the building, inside was a horrific sight. The main lobby looked like a hurricane past through as everything from furniture, paper work and interior decor were all over the place. There was someone in a white lab coat sitting up against the wall looking worn out. The group ran up to him.

"Brother, what happened here?" Darrell asked.

"...murgh...Oh, Mr. Darrell! It's just awful. Those thieves are at it again. But this time, they surprised us big time. They brought along 2 other companions who are really strong and cunning. They demolished us in Pokemon battles and made a mess of the place. Please...you gotta stop them! Their plan is to steal some of the energy from the Lighting Renewal Bolts! Plus...Raikou is here...so they might try to steal it too..." the man said as he coughed heavily.

"Just take it easy soldier. I'm on the case. Just get the police to come here!"

"Done...good luck sir..." The man slowly got up and walked towards the main telephone against the wall.

"All righty kids. I hope you're all experienced battlers, because we're about to get our hands dirty down there! ARE YA WITH ME?!" Darrell shouted out.

Justin, Aly and Ron covered their ears to protect their ears from the loud shouting.

"Umm, you didn't have to shout that. We're right here..." Aly remarked with sass.

"Sorry...habit! I'm just always so energetic!" Darrell chuckled heavily. "ALL RIGHT TROOPS! FOLLOW ME!" The group, led by Darrell continued into the building to the healing grounds.

The group ran up a few flights of stairs towards the roof, reaching the healing grounds. The area was massive with a lot of open space. It was marble flooring in the centre surrounded artificial grass turf. In the middle, there were 4 tall pointed metal prisms that extended probably about 50 feet into the sky. There were also stairs that lead up a platform about 2 feet off the marble floor with desks, computers and other machines to work the mechanism around it. On that platform, the group saw the Raikou from before.

"Look, its Raikou!" Aly exclaimed.

"Well...it sure got onto the conducting platform fast," Darrell remarked.

"Conducting platform?"

"Yeah. The tall metal prisms help absorb the lightning from the sky. It then transfers it to that conducting platform where electric type Pokemon stand on. From there, we can monitor the amount of electricity gets absorbed by them!"

"Wow...that's pretty neat!" Justin exclaimed.

"Hehehe...yes. And it will be even better once the energy is all ours!" A voice snickered in the area. Justin, Aly, Ryan and Darrell looked around to see where that voice came from. A group of 4 people, 3 men and 1 woman, came from the bushes at the far end of the area. 2 of the men were dressed in black suits and seemed to be the ones Justin, Aly and Ryan saw in the jeep before. The other 2 were also dressed in black suits, but had short white capes tied around their necks.

"Well, if it isn't my dudes Donny and Ralph! Do we really need to cause trouble here?" Darrell asked calmly.

"C'mon man, you know how much energy is a lightning bolt! Imagine what we could do with all that! Man, the possibilities are endless!" Ralph giggled.

"Plus, we're going to steal Raikou. It's a Freaking Raikou dude!" Donny added

"I see...well, it's still wrong to steal from people you know. Now, I see you were able to get past all of our staff. Normally, with yours and Donny's skill, that would be impossible. But, it seems you brought some new friends to the party."

"I sense an insult in that comment. You guys just got lucky all those other times. But, I guess you can say these guys helped. It was Ralph and I doing all the work though. Sure, they cleared through all the people below...but we were telling them what to do the whole time. So, it's still us getting the credit!" Donny exclaimed. The other man and woman just looked at each other, and smirked. Donny and Ralph looked behind themselves.

"You people have a problem with our assessment?!" Ralph shot back.

"Heh, you guys are as dumb as always..." the woman taunted.

"UGHH! Whatever, Me and Ralph will do the harder work and deal with Mr Darrell-SHmarrell over here. You guys get that Raikou and absorb all the energy from the lightning bolt stored in those machines!" Donny commanded.

"Heh, sure thing boss," The shady man remarked sarcastically. Just after, the 2 started running towards the healing grounds platform.

"Oh no you don't!" Darrell cried out as he started to chase them. Just then, 2 Pokeballs appeared right in front of him. They opened and released 2 Pokemon. One was a spider-like Pokemon a red body with black stripes and yellow legs with blue stripes. Another was a dark green dragonfly-like Pokemon with red eyes and 4 white wings.

"Yan-Yan!" The second Pokemon cried out.

"Ari-Ari!" The first one cried out. It was a Yanmega and Ariados.

"Heh, you're not giving me much a choice eh? All right. I'll take you guys on!" Darrell smirked.

"Darrell! We'll help you!" Justin called out. He, Ron and Aly began running towards him.

"No need to worry kids!" Darrell said raising his hand, signalling them to stop. "These guys are a piece of cake. What worries me more are those 2 other shady characters. I'm going to be a little busy here so I'm counting on you 2 to help me stop the other 2."

"Well...are you sure?"

"We better do what he says. Otherwise, no one is going to stop the other people." Aly remarked.

"Good luck you guys! I know we just met, and I'm asking y'all to do such a huge favour. Hey, drinks on me if we manage to get through this thing!" Darrell smiled.

"Umm...we're not of age to drink yet..." Justin muttered.

"Oh...fine, ice cream, whatever! Just stop those other guys!" Darrell gave thumbs up before turning around to face Ralph and Donny.

"You guys better keep up," Ron remarked as he began running after the other 2 thieves. Justin and Aly followed right behind him.

* * *

"All right Kylie... It's just us and that Raikou. Once we nab it, we book it out of here. Are you ready?"

"Ready Stark!"

The shady man and woman got ready to ambush the legendary dog. Raikou was relaxing on the healing platform, absorbing some of the energy from the Lightning Renewal's lightning bolt. They charged towards the platform and ran right up to Raikou. Kylie then tossed a metal circular mechanism as Raikou. Just before hitting it, it expanded, enclosed Raikou in a clear, red rectangular prism. Raikou opened its eyes to see it was now surrounded in a red light. It quickly got up and raised its paw to touch it. After making contact, a blue shock wave came about and caused Raikou to suffer some pain. It then roared loudly and stared at Kylie and Stark.

"Well, that was easy." Stark smirked.

"HEY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU"RE DOING!?" a voice came from the distance. They both looked back to see Justin, Aly and Ron running in their direction.

"What does it look like? We're stealing Raikou." Kylie remarked.

"We're Pokemon hunters. We find rare and valuable Pokemon and then sell them to the highest bidder!" Stark explained.

"What? That's just not right!" Justin cried out.

"Look punk. We do what we want with Pokemon. You kids are annoying me now. Go Vigoroth!" Stark threw a Pokeball into the air. Out came a white sloth-like Pokemon with red fur on its forehead.

"Go Liepard!" Kylie shouted as she threw her Pokeball. Out came a purple feline-like Pokemon with yellow rosettes over its body.

"All right, then we'll battle too!" Justin called out. "Eevee, you're up!"

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out as it jumped from Justin's shoulder onto the ground and into battle.

"Aly, Ron and I will distract these 2. Given the opportunity, go see if you can help Raikou at all." Justin suggested.

"Sounds good. Good luck." Aly replied as she swiftly ran the other way out of sight.

"Hey Ron! What do you say to a little tag battle?" Justin asked.

"I'll handle these 2 on my own." Ron shot back as he released his Magby from its Pokeball

"C'mon man, we gotta work together!"

"Don't get in my way." Justin gave Ron a frustrated look.

"Wow, have you ever seen a better team? Haha! Vigoroth, use fury swipes on that Eevee!" Stark commanded.

"VI-GO-ROTH!" Vigoroth roared as its claws lit up and charged straight towards Eevee.

"Eevee, counter it with Iron Tail!" Justin commanded.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out as it jumped up in the air, lit its tail up, and whipped it towards the oncoming claws. Both attacks collided, but Vigoroth was more powerful and it sent Eevee backwards towards Justin onto the ground.

"You ok pal?" Justin asked. Eevee got up quickly and nodded.

"That's good to hear. But damn...that's a powerful Vigoroth! So cool!" Justin remarked in awe. Eevee looked back at its trainer to see he was distracted again.

"Liepard, use take down on Eevee now!" Kylie commanded.

"Pard!" Liepard growled as it quickly jumped up in the air and went straight towards a vulnerable Eevee.

"Flamethrower!" Ron commanded.

"Mag!" Magby cried out as it jumped shot a stream of fire right at Liepard before it reached a falling Eevee. Justin's attention shifted back onto the battle as he read what just happened.

"Wow, Thanks bud!" Justin shouted out.

"Why don't you keep focused, all right?" Ron retorted back.

* * *

"Hmm, they seemed distracted. Now's my chance." Aly said quietly from a distance. She made a loop around the battle area, passing behind Stark and Kylie and near the platform. Aly approached the healing platform where Raikou was tackling the sides of the red prism trap.

"Don't worry Raikou; I'll help you get out of here!" Aly shouted. Raikou shifted its focus to the girl on the outside of the trap. Aly threw out her Pokeball and out came Vulpix.

"Squirtle, use you water gun. Vulpix, use flamethrower." Aly commanded.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out as it released a jet of water at the red prism.

"Vul!" Vulpix cried out as it let out its flamethrower at the trap as well. Both attacks collided with the orb, but were repelled to the side.

"We have to keep trying!" Aly remarked. Both Pokemon nodded as they kept up their attacks. Raikou's eyes widened as it saw their efforts.

"It'll be ok Raikou. Justin, Ron, and I are going help you out."

Raikou glanced over and observed Justin and Ron, who were battling alongside their Pokemon to fend off the Pokemon Hunters.

* * *

"Vigoroth, use slash on Eevee!" Stark commanded.

"Eevee, use dig!" Justin commanded. Eevee dug a hole underground just before Vigoroth sliced it with its claws.

"Magby, flamethrower on Vigoroth!" Ryan commanded. Magby released a stream of fire at Vigoroth. Vigoroth tried to dodge the attack, but failed and was hit and knocked on the ground.

"Liepard now! Use Shadow claw!" Kylie commanded. Right behind Magby appeared Liepard with a black claw of energy formed on its paw, ready to swipe at Magby.

"Magby, use your smokes-"

"Now Eevee, dig on Liepard!" Justin shouted, cancelling Ron's attack. Eevee came up from underground right under Liepard, sending it upwards to the sky. It eventually fell back down and landed hard on the ground.

"All right Eevee!" Justin cried out, giving a thumbs up. Eevee looked back and smiled at its trainer. Right after that, Vigoroth appeared out of nowhere in front of Eevee, and hit it with a slash attack. This sent Eevee flying sideways where it landed hard on the ground.

"Eevee!" Justin called out.

"Now Vigoroth, finish this up with brick break!" Stark commanded. Vigoroth's paws lit up and dashed towards Eevee.

"Magby, Faint Attack!" Ron commanded. With a burst of speed, Magby intercepted Vigoroth and sucker punched it across the face, saving Eevee.

"Wow...that was a close one. Thanks again Ron!" Justin remarked.

"What's with you?! You get distracted way too easily, which shows you're not completely focused on this battle. This is exactly why you're not strong. You're bad habits and so called choice of a Pokemon, named Eevee, are going make us lose!" Ron shouted, who was clearly mad.

"Bro, chill out. One, don't blame this on Eevee! Maybe I've been in a little unfocused this battle and may not be as strong as you. I'm sorry. I'll try to be better from now on. All right?!"

"Hmph, just leave the rest to me..." Ron looked back onto the battlefield.

"This is why I work alone. Nothing good ever comes from relying on people..." He said under his breath.

"Wow, these 2 REALLY don't get a long, eh Kylie?" Stark asked his partner.

"Oh, there's some beef all right. It's kind of amusing." Kylie smirked. She then heard a voice come from behind her. She turned around to see Aly with her Pokemon trying to break the prism trap.

"That girl must be stopped! Ariados! Psybeam!" Kylie threw a Pokeball in Aly's direction that released a red spider-like Pokemon with black stripes and a unhappy face on its back. It shot out a colourful beam of psychic energy from its pincers towards Aly and her Pokemon.

"Aly watch out!" Justin called out. Aly quickly turned around only for her and her Pokemon to be hit by the attack. They were all sent backwards, hitting against the red prism trap before landing on the ground.

"Oh no, Aly! Are you all right?!" Aly slowly got onto her knees and nodded weakly. Justin and Eevee started to run towards her.

"RAI!" Raikou roared angrily at what just happened. Justin, Aly, Ron, Stark, Kylie and all the Pokemon turned their attention to Raikou. It roared again loudly and formed a mini thunder cloud above the prism trap. Blue lightning bolts began to spark around that cloud. Raikou then released a powerful Thunder attack down on the red prism, which seemed to be penetrating the trap's defenses. A few moments after attacking, a giant smoke explosion occurred, which shook the entire building. Everyone covered their faces with their arms to avoid the smoke and held their position. Once everything subsided, they all opened their eyes to see Raikou standing beside Aly.

"Raikou! You're ok!" Aly cried out happily. Squirtle and Vulpix cheered in celebration. Raikou nodded at the trainer and then shifted its attention to the battle. It walked over to the battle area and stopped in front of an incoming Justin.

"Nice job Raikou! You got out of the trap!" Justin exclaimed.

"What?! This is impossible!" Stark exclaimed.

"No Pokemon could ever break that mechanism!" Kylie added. Aly tried to stand up but kneeled back down, holding her arm as it were in pain.

"ALY!" Justin called out as he and Eevee ran towards their friend. Ron recalled his Magby followed behind them. The 2 trainers reached her position where Justin kneeled down to Aly's level.

"Aly, are you all right?" Justin asked with deep concern.

"Yeah...I'll be fine...but look, we were able to get Raikou out..." Aly said weakly.

"Well, I'm just glad you're all right. Rest easy now; we'll get you some help later." Ron finally caught up to the two.

"You both should take a look. Things are about to get interesting." Ron exclaimed. The group then looked on. Raikou roared loudly as it began to create a thunder cloud above its head. Stark and Kylie took a small step backwards in fear.

"Vigoroth, Focus Blast!" Stark commanded.

"Liepard, shadow ball! Ariados, Psybeam!" Kylie commanded. All 3 Pokemon shot their special attacks together at Raikou. Raikou launched a powerful thunder attack right back. The attacks collided and were pushing against each other, but Raikou's attack ultimately broke through and hit both the hunters Pokemon, making them unable to battle.

"WHAT! IMPOSSIBLE!" Stark exclaimed. They both returned their Pokemon back to their Pokeballs.

"Well, we still got these gadgets here!" Kylie shouted as she threw some trapping mechanisms at Raikou. They failed however as Raikou zapped them with thunder and caused them to be useless.

"Kylie, I think we best be getting out of here!" Stark suggested.

"Agreed. Let's go!" Kylie added. Just as they turned around to run, they stopped in their tracks. Behind them was a familiar man carrying 2 other guys, Ralph and Donny, with his arms.

"Whoa guys. No need to rush out of here so soon!" Darrell said calmly. He then dropped Ralph and Donny on the floor. Both of them were knocked out.

"Darrell! You're ok!" Aly called out.

"Yep! It did take a little longer than usual. But, like I said, piece of cake with these guys! And I see you guys saved Raikou and helped put a stop to these hunters. I must say I'm impressed."

"You'll never contain us!" Stark shouted. He and Kylie then ran towards the left entrance. Raikou jumped up into the air and landed right in front of the hunters, roaring at them loudly. Stark and Kylie turned around to run the other way, but were stopped by another person in blue, Officer Jenny.

* * *

The police force arrived at the healing grounds, taking the hunters, Ralph and Donny into custody. All of the employees injured from the attacks were being treated by the medical staff. Aly was getting treated herself with bandages around her arm. She was walking around seeing how the employees were doing and assisting the medical staff administer employees their treatment as well. Raikou was back on the healing platform recharging its energy.

"Wow, this sure was an interesting day," Darrell remarked.

"At least the Healing Grounds is safe again. And so is Raikou!" Justin replied.

"Yep, and I have all 3 of you guys to thank!"

"Raikou is really the one to credit. Glad to know everything is normal." Ron remarked. Aly then made her way back towards the 3 of them.

"How's your arm?" Justin asked.

"Well, it still hurts. But they said it should be fine by tomorrow!" Aly remarked

"That's good to hear."

"I see you were helping around with the other employee's treatment. You sure have a good heart!" Darrel exclaimed happily.

"Oh...well you know. I just want to make sure everyone, people and Pokemon, are in good health." Aly smiled.

* * *

"Well I guess we're all off now!" Justin said. He, Aly and Ron were standing outside the EPPS headquarters entrance with Darrell. Eevee and Squirtle were both back in their respective positions with their trainers. The sun was starting to set with the sky being a yellow orange colour.

"I can't thank you kids enough for all of your help today. If you're ever in the neighbourhood again, stop by and say hello!" Darrell stated.

"No problem, glad we can all help!" Aly exclaimed happily.

"See you later!" Justin said as he, Aly and Ron turned around to walk the other way. Darrell waved at them until they were no longer in his sight. The 3 reached a fork in the road that led to 2 different directions. Ron started to walk towards the path on the right without saying goodbye.

"Hey Ron..." Justin said. Ron stopped in his tracks after hearing Justin.

"Thanks for your help today. I know I'm still not as good as you...but I'm going to train hard. And next time we battle, I'm going to win!" Ron just kept still and didn't reply right away. A few moments later, he broke the silence.

"You still have a long way to go." With that, Ron continued to walk down the path. Justin and Aly watched him go until he was barely visible.

"He was kind of rude to you during that battle, wasn't he?" Aly asked.

"Well, I guess. But there's one thing I know for sure. He's still a better trainer than me now. But, that only motivates me to train harder and beat him next time!" Justin exclaimed.

"I know you'll do great!" Aly replied happily.

"Thanks!"

The 2 continued their conversation while walking down the chosen path. In the distance, above on a high mountain, was a familiar yellow beast Pokemon, watching them walk into the distance and towards their goals.


	14. Chapter 14 - Poffin Class Confusion

**Chapter 14: Poffin Class Confusion**

"Well, we totally missed our goal of making it to Copper Town before nightfall...and it's already dark outside." Aly sighed as she and Justin walked down Route 402's dirt path.

"It's not like we're in a race against time." Justin replied.

"Yeah...but I don't want to sleep outside. I want the Pokemon Centre's nice beds, with a hot shower, good food and electricity."

"Sorry to interrupt princess, but there's something you should see." Justin pointed at a sign to their left that read "Welcome to Copper Town!"

"I'm not sure which map you were looking at, but it appears we're at Copper Town now..."

"YES! That means another night with sleep on a bed!" Aly cheered. Justin, Eevee on his shoulder, and Squirtle in Aly's arms looked at her with a confused expression before continuing. It was evening time and they had just arrived in Copper Town. It was a smaller area with a lot of mid-sized residential houses around. The streetlights positioned on the sides of the street made the atmosphere feel warm and friendly. There were a couple of people outside that ranged from young couples, to families with small children, taking walks with Pokemon.

Justin and Aly kept walking down the path until they caught sight of a Pokemon Centre down a few blocks. The 2 trainers then made their way towards it and went through its entrance. It was a pretty standard Pokemon Centre layout on the inside, with Nurse Joy right behind the front counter.

"Hi Nurse Joy! Do you think you could take a look at our Pokemon?" Justin asked. He had Mudkip's and Combusken's Pokeballs in his hands.

"Why of course. I'd be happy too!' Nurse Joy said happily. She then pressed a button on her desk and almost immediately a Chansey walked through the side doors with a cart. Justin and Aly placed their Pokeballs on the cart while Eevee and Squirtle sat next to them.

"I'll see ya soon pal!" Justin said to Eevee

"Ee-vuie!" his Pokemon cried out.

"Be good now, Squirtle." Aly said to her Pokemon.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out. Chansey then rolled the cart through the side doors for their healing and checkups. Justin then noticed something posted on the wall behind Nurse Joy.

"Hey Aly, take a look at that." He said to Aly. The both examined the posted flyer on the wall. It read "Poffin Cooking Course held at 9pm."

"Wow! A Poffin Cooking class!" Aly exclaimed.

"What's a poffin?" Justin asked naively.

"They're like treats for Pokemon in a shape of a biscuit. Although, Harry from Amethyst City said that some Pokémon Coordinators bake them to increase certain conditions of Pokemon. You make them with certain berries that give it their flavour! Plus, who doesn't like cooking?"

"That's neat! Hey, you should join it!"

"You think?"

"Sure! It will help us make specific healthy food for our Pokemon they way they like it." Justin explained.

"Hmmm...I guess you're right!" Aly responded. "Hey, do it with me!"

"ME?! But...I'm a mess in the kitchen..." Justin stuttered.

"Oh c'mon. I don't want to do this alone...won't you please?" Aly made her best puppy face at him. Justin looked on as he was slowly sucked into Aly's trap.

"But...I...OK, OK fine. I'll do it too." He remarked, turning the other way and crossing his arms.

"Yay!" Aly cheered happily as she clasped her hands together. "Nurse Joy, we'd both like to sign up for that Cooking Class!"

"Glad to hear! It'll be held in the main kitchen area at 9 o'clock. Grab a bite and settle down for a bit first!" Nurse Joy responded.

"Thanks Nurse Joy!"

* * *

Justin and Aly got all their Pokemon back a little while later and headed for the main dining area. Justin and Aly had the dinner special while they let out all their Pokemon to eat some food as well. After finishing their food, they all made their way to the trainer's lounge. There were a couple other people present in the room with their Pokemon out as well. Justin observed around the area when he caught a glimpse of something.

"Hey, there's a video phone! I'm going to make a call!" Justin exclaimed.

"Sure, no problem! I'll wait here." Aly said. Justin and his Pokemon walked to the video phone station. Justin dialed a number into the number pad and waited a few rings before seeing a familiar face on screen.

"Professor Rose! It's me, Justin Riser!" Justin exclaimed.

"Justin! Wow, this is a surprise! How have you been?" Professor Rose asked.

"This journey has been amazing so far. I've run into many types of Pokemon, met many different people, and just been having many great experiences!"

"I'm glad to hear it. Oh, how's Eevee doing?"

"Eevee's great. Just say hi to her!" Justin exclaimed. Eevee appeared once again on screen and cried out in its respective tongue.

"Hi Eevee! Good to see you. Have you caught any other new Pokemon Justin?"

"Yep! A Combusken and Mudkip! Combusken was originally a Torchic, but evolved during my gym battle in Ruby City. I have 2 gym badges so far and heading to Zircon City for my next."

"I see. Well good luck, I'm sure you'll be just fine!" Professor Rose smiled. "Anyways, I gotta go right now. I'll talk to you again Justin. Safe travels!"

"Thanks, Bye Professor!" Justin said just before hanging up his second call. He then turned around to find Aly but didn't find her in the seat he left her in. He looked around to see her at the video call machine 3 stalls away from him. Justin walked over to her stall and saw a woman who resembled Aly a little with long blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Don't worry Mom, I'm fine. Nothing serious has come up." Aly said.

"I'm glad to hear that. Because you know if -...oh, who's this?" Aly's mother asked. Aly turned around to see Justin standing right behind her. She was startled and jolted up.

"JUSTIN! DON'T SNEAK UP BEHIND ME!" She shouted as she hit him on the head. Everyone else in the area looked on at the 2 trainers.

"OWW! Hey, I'm sorry! Gosh, didn't have to hit me that hard." Justin moaned, rubbing his head.

"Aly?" Aly's mom interrupted.

"...Oh right! This is Justin Riser! He's a boy I met here in Minero. We've been travelling together for quite some time now." Aly explained.

"It's nice to meet you ma'am." Justin said as he smiled and waved.

"It's nice to meet you too, Justin. Say Aly, I think you did well with this one." Her mom giggled. Aly's face turned really red after that comment.

"MOM! STOP IT! IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Aly yelled.

"Relax! Well, I should let you kids go. Justin, you take care of her! Remember Aly, anything serious happens, call us...good luck with your journey." Aly's mom ended the call after that.

"By the way, what were you guys talking about earl-" Justin remarked before catching a glimpse of the time. "Aly! Its 8:50pm, we should head to the main kitchen area now!"

"Oh no! Right, let's go!" Aly exclaimed.

* * *

"All Right! Thanks for participating in tonight's Poffin-Making class! Now everyone get to a station." Nurse Joy announced. Justin and Aly were with about 5 other trainers who were all female in the Pokemon Centre's main kitchen area. They each got to a desk station where there were many different types of berries and kitchenware.

"As you all can see, there are many different kinds of berries at your station. They range from Oran berries, to Cheri berries, to Pecha berries, to much more. Mixing and matching berries together will give each Poffin their unique flavour. Remember that different Pokemon like different types of flavours. It's all about practising to make the poffins your Pokemon will enjoy most." Nurse Joy explained. "Now, grab a few berries and cut them up into small pieces using the cutting boards and knifes to your left."

Justin and Aly both placed their cutting boards in front of them and grabbed their knives on the side. Eevee and Squirtle sat on the table to the left of their respective trainer's cutting board.

"Hmmm...Which berries should I take?" Aly said to herself.

"If you need help deciding, check the manual I've placed at your station. It tells you what kinds of berries give a certain flavour." Nurse Joy pointed out. Aly grabbed her book and flipped through the first few pages.

"**For a sweet flavour, pecha berries, perism berries and bluk berries are suggested," **The book stated.

"Hmm, maybe I'll be safe and make some sweet poffins. Everyone loves sweets!" Aly said happily. She then got grabbed some pecha and perism berries and cut them into smaller pieces using the knife. She seemed to have finished a little early as the other trainers where either cutting or still deciding on flavours. She then turned over to Justin, who was cutting his berries.

"Hey Justin! Which flavours are you going for?" She asked him.

"Ummm...I'm not sure. I guess I'll just do random selection for a big surprise!" Justin exclaimed.

"Ee-vy!?" Eevee cried out, who seemed nervous.

"C'mon Eevee, you gotta be adventurous!" Justin smiled at his Pokemon. Eevee put on a concerned expression after that remark.

"Anyways..." She quickly got back to her station. Nurse Joy was ready to move on.

"All right, now that you have your berries all chopped up, turn on the stove to a medium fire and place the berries inside the pot. Stir the contents around until the mixture becomes a little thick, as the berries will cook down and mix with the water. You should do this for about 5-7 minutes, or whenever you feel it's ready!" Nurse Joy explained. Everyone lifted the bowl of berries and dumped them into the pot. They all grabbed a long wooden stirrer and became stirring the berries within the pot. While Aly was stirring, she was reading more of the manual under the "Pokemon Health" section.

"_Hm, it seems that these plain berries have status health effects on Pokemon too. Pecha berries help with poison, Cheri berries for paralysis...this is pretty interesting stuff._" She thought to herself, getting excited.

"There are some pretty interesting things about raising healthy Pokemon in here Justin! Did you know Cheri and Pecha berries can heal status effects? They can also be used for medicine too!"

"You seem to be really into that sort of stuff, eh?" Justin said to Aly.

"I guess so, yeah!" Aly remarked with a smile before going back to stirring. Justin smiled back and continued to look at her.

"_This is the happiest I've ever seen of Aly. Good for her!"_ He thought to himself. Justin then looked over to his right and saw another trainer stirring her pot. She fed some of the leftover berries to her Pokemon, who was sitting on the table next to her. It was a yellow mouse-like Pokemon with a zigzag tail and red circles on its cheeks.

"Hey, that's a cute Pikachu you got there." Justin said to her. The trainer looked up to see who spoke.

"Oh...why thank you. I'm always taking care of Pikachu to make sure it's in top shape." She replied as she petted Pikachu's head. The yellow mouse Pokemon smiled and cried out cheerfully.

"Is that your Eevee?" She asked back.

"Yep! She was my first Pokemon on my journey." Justin replied, petting Eevee on its head.

"It's quite a cutie! You must take care of it very well."

"For sure! By the way, my name is Justin! Justin Riser!"

"I'm Rika from Ruby City!"

Eevee and Rika's Pikachu met up and started talking with each other. Justin and Rika continued to converse while stirring their Poffin contents. Aly was too busy writing down notes from the manual on her notepad while stirring her berry contents. She looked up at Justin and saw him talking to another female trainer. She then noticed Justin's pot about to overflow with boiling water.

"JUSTIN! WATCH YOUR POT!" Aly cried out to him. Justin stopped talking and looked at his pot. It was bubbling a lot and the mixture was about to rise out of the pot. He lifted the pot from the stove in time for the contents to settle down.

"That was close...Thanks Aly. You always seem to help me when I need it." Justin smiled.

Aly blushed slightly and then turned her face away with an annoyed expression. "Well...maybe you should pay more attention to your pot."

"Heh heh...I guess you're right." Justin smiled as he scratched his head. He then turned to Rika and told her they should probably focus on their Poffins right now. Rika agreed and the 2 turned their attention to their pots. Nurse Joy came by to everyone's station to check on their contents.

"I think yours looks ready now," Nurse Joy told Aly. Aly then turned down the heat from the stove.

"Now, pour your contents into the pantry gaps. Once the contents cool, they will take harden into the shape of the gap. After that, you can test them out!"

"That's great, thanks Nurse Joy!" Aly said. She raised her pot and poured the mixture into the gaps of the pantry. Once finished, she put back down the pot.

"Boy...I really hope this thing turns out ok..." Aly said nervously.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Justin remarked back to her.

"We'll see I guess. I really want to make all sorts of different poffin snacks for my Pokemon for their taste preferences."

"Hey, it's only our first try. So if it doesn't work out, don't worry. We just keep on practising!"

"You're right Justin!" Aly smiled. She then turned her head at Squirtle.

"Squirtle, Squirt!" Squirtle cried out happily, echoing the same thing as Justin. She then turned back towards Justin's direction.

"By the way Justin, how are yours-"She cut herself off when she saw Justin talking with Rika again. Aly then let out a big sigh of disappointment which Squirtle noticed. It then tugged on its trainer's arm.

"Oh, don't mind me Squirtle. I'm fine..." Aly smiled back at her Pokemon. She then looked back down.

"_Why am I feeling this way...Justin's just talking with another girl. It's not that big a deal…" _She thought to herself.

"All right everyone! The Poffins are going to take a little while to cool off. Let's meet back here in about 20 minutes. Then we can have our Pokemon try your own-made Poffins!" Nurse Joy announced. All the other trainers got up and began to leave. They all seemed to have gotten to know each other as they conversed while walking through the door. Aly was packed all her things and walked with Squirtle to a nearby bench. She began reading more of the manual again.

"Raising healthy Pokemon involves taking care of many areas such as diet, exercise and overall appearance..." She read out loud. All of a sudden, she heard footsteps coming her way. She looked up and saw Justin, with Eevee on his shoulder in front of her. Aly felt happiness inside her about seeing his face before noticing the same girl he was talking to before beside him.

"Oh...hey Justin," Aly said softly.

"Aly, I'd like you to meet Rika. She was right beside me during the whole class. She's actually pretty good at these things but is taking this class to practise and potentially learn more." Justin said as he pointed to Rika.

"Hello there! It's nice to meet you!" Rika smiled.

"Um...hi, nice to meet you to," Aly responded.

"Aly, I'm going to go with Rika for a bit. She wants to show me something important. Catch you later."

"Oh...wait, I..." Aly cut herself off again as Justin quickly turned around and walked with Rika. She sat still until they both walked through the door. She had a blank look on her face.

"_Why? Why does this bother me?" _ She thought to herself.

* * *

20 minutes had passed and all the other participant trainers came back to check on their Poffins. Aly just sat at her station for the waiting time, rethinking what she was feeling and what had just occurred. She tried to read the manual for more learning, but couldn't. Moments later, Justin walked in and made his way to his Poffins. Aly didn't bother looking up at them.

"Hey Aly...Um, is everything all right?" Justin asked concernedly.

"Yeah...I'm good." Aly said softly as she looked up. "Wait...where's Rika?"

"Oh, she said she was going to be a little late. Got a call from her parents."

"Oh I see...if you don't mind me asking...ummmm..." Aly stuttered with her question.

"What is it Aly?" Justin asked.

"What is it that you did with Rika during that time?" Aly turned her head away while asking her question.

"Oh that? Here...check it!" Justin exclaimed as he reached into his bag. Aly faced him and looked on. He then pulled an old notebook that looked like it was used before.

"Um...what is it?" Aly asked curiously.

"It's Rika's old logs of Poffin making! She had an extra copy on her. It has advanced notes about making Poffins, old recipes, different health benefits of Poffins, and much more. She told me that it would be a good reference for you in case." Justin explained.

"Wait...that was it?"

"Yeah! She noticed that you were really into making Poffins and learning about raising healthy Pokemon. She's a Pokemon breeder, you know? I echoed the same observations, noting that this was the happiest I've seen you be and I wanted to help you out. So, she thought that her old logs might be a good reference for you while we're travelling. I asked if she had anything around for you, and luckily she gave me these notes. I hope they'll help." Justin handed her the old log book. Aly' eyes opened up widely as she slowly took the log book.

"Wow Justin...I didn't realize that you really wanted to help." She said softly as she looked back up at him.

"Of course I do! You're my friend, Aly!" Justin smiled. Aly marvelled the boy standing in front of him, and shortly began to giggle a bit after.

"Umm...what's so funny?" Justin asked confusedly. Aly settled herself down after that comment.

"Oh, it's nothing. Thank you Justin." Aly replied with a smile.

* * *

Everyone's poffins had just finished cooling that they were now solids. The trainers were calling out their Pokemon to have them sample their fresh baked Poffins. Justin and Aly did the same as they brought out all their Pokemon from their Pokeballs.

"All right Squirtle and Vulpix. Try these!" Aly said as she held out a plate of her Poffins. Squirtle grabbed it with its arms, put it into its mouth and started chewing. Vulpix reached its mouth at the plate and picked one up to eat.

"So? How are they?" She asked. Squirtle started to squint and grimace.

"Oh...too sweet for you, huh?" Aly sighed. Squirtle nodded, but smiled as it reluctantly gulped down the poffin.

"Vul-pix!" Vulpix cried out happily. It was smiling while chewing on the Poffin before swallowing it.

"Wow Vulpix, do you like it?" Aly asked excitedly. Vulpix nodded before going in to eat some more. She looked over to Justin to see how his Pokemon faired.

"All right guys, here are the poffins I made! I'm not really sure what flavour it is, but let's be adventurous and eat it!" He said to all of them. Eevee, Combusken and Mudkip looked at each other with uncertainty. They took one poffin from the plate and began chewing. Combusken and Mudkip both smiled and cried out happily.

"All right! My poffin is a success!" Justin said happily. He then turned to Eevee, who then shot a mini flamethrower out of its mouth. It ran around the room, shooting more flamethrowers. Justin quickly grabbed a water bottle from his bag and tipped it towards Eevee's mouth. The Pokemon put its mouth on the tip and began to drink.

"Well, I guess it's a little too spicy for ya, eh Eevee?" Justin giggled. Eevee turned its head to the side, with a sassy expression.

"Hey! No need to be like that!" Justin tried to make up with Eevee, who was still giving him sass treatment. Aly took a poffin from her plate and walked over to them.

"Hey Eevee! Try one of my poffins." Aly suggested. She kneeled down and put the poffin in Eevee's open mouth. Eevee began chewing and after a bit, it smiled brightly.

"Ee-vy!" It cried out happily, jumping up and down.

"Aww, Eevee likes my poffins!" Aly squealed.

"Oh...you're right..."Justin said.

"Well, we girls like really sweet things. Right Eevee?!"

"Ee-vy!" Eevee agreed with Aly as they both looked at Justin, and then back at each other giggling. Justin didn't understand what they were insinuating, but noticed his poffin plate behind Aly

"Well check this out! Squirtle seems to be enjoying my poffins." Justin exclaimed. Aly looked over as her pokemon, Combusken and Mudkip were sharing the rest of Justin's poffins on the plate.

"That's so cool! You gotta give me the recipe for that!" Aly exclaimed.

"Sure! No problem!" Justin responded.

"Hey guys!" a voice called out from their right. They both looked over to find Rika walking up to them. "How are your poffins?"

"They're pretty good. We found out that-"Justin began the conversation with Rika as they both, along with Aly, began to talk more about poffins, Pokemon and much more.

* * *

"Well, I guess we should head to our rooms now." Aly suggested. Justin and Rika both nodded as they all began to leave the kitchen. Eevee and Squirtle went back into their respective positions with their trainers.

"Thanks for leading this Poffin-cooking class Nurse Joy! I learned a lot!" Aly remarked.

"Oh, it's my pleasure! Good luck to you all with your future poffins!" Nurse joy said happily. The group smiled and waved while they walked out of the kitchen. They made their way to the bedroom halls where they were about to go into their spate rooms.

"I'm sorry guys. I'm getting up extra early tomorrow morning for some important errands, so I'm afraid this will be goodbye. Good luck on your upcoming gym battle Justin!"

"I see...well, it was very nice meeting you Rika! I had a blast with you making poffins!' Justin exclaimed as they both shook hands. Rika petted Eevee on the head as Eevee nuzzled against her hand.

"And Aly, it was nice meeting you too. Good luck with your journey." Rika said to Aly.

"Thanks Rika, I'll try my best! And thanks for your old log notes. I'll make good use of them,' Aly exclaimed.

"No problem at all! You know, you're lucky to have a guy like Justin as your friend. I can tell that he cares about you."

"Yeah...he sure does..." Aly smiled as she looked back at Justin. Justin looked her way and smiled.

"Anyways, see you later!" Rika said as she walked into her room and closed the door.

"Well Aly, good night. I'll see you in the morning ok?" Justin remarked.

"Yeah. Good night Justin," Aly smiled. Justin walked back into his room and shut the door. Aly just stood there looking at the closed door smiling. Squirtle, in her arms, looked up at her.

"_Thank you... Justin Riser..."_


	15. Chapter 15 - Leader

_**A/N: Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians. Short chapter here, Team immortal special. Remember to review if you have any feedback/input.**_

**Chapter 15: Leader**

There was a big group of Team Immortal grunts in the main meeting area of the Team Immortal headquarters base. It was a large room with silver walls, portraits of ancient history mounted on the wall, and an upper deck at the end of the room. All the grunts were on the lower level conversing with each other before the big meeting they had to attend. Among the grunts in the crowd was Caius and Raiza.

"Raiza, you think Commander Hades was successful in his mission at Ruby City?" Caius asked.

"Without a doubt. It's Commander Hades of course." Raiza said sternly.

"Awesome! One more step towards Team Immortal's plan!"

"Yes…indeed."

"Bro, you're such a buzzkill. Would it hurt to be a little more excited?" Caius remarked.

"…I guess…" Raiza said sheepishly. Caius gave him a weird look before turning around. A few moments after, the door on the upper deck slid open. Out came a hooded figure wearing white robes with gold outlining. The hood covered the top half of his face with a shadow, while his nose and mouth were visible.

"Raiza! It's the leader of Team Immortal!" Caius exclaimed giddily.

"I can see that." Raiza remarked. The whole room went silent as all the grunts made their way into a formation that consisted of them standing in straight lines, saluting the regarded figure. The one and only leader of Team Immortal had called all Team Immortal Grunts for a very important announcement. Each member had a serious look on their face, but on the inside they were in awe. The leader raised his hand, signalling all of his subordinates to drop the formalities.

"My fellow brothers!" The leader announced gracefully. All of a sudden, the vibe in the room went from serious to free and relaxed. All the grunts had happy expressions on their faces as they listened to their leader. Caius had a huge smile on his face, while Raiza maintained his seriousness.

"I can officially say, that Commander Hades and his team have successfully captured the Ruby Jewel! With this, the first step of our master plan is complete!" The room erupted with loud cheering and clapping. The leader let it go for a bit before waving his arm, causing the room to be silent again.

"With that said, I have some unfortunate news to share as well. A few of our fellow brothers weren't so lucky. They were defeated and got caught by our new enemy in the police. Now, we can't let their hard work go to waste! Think about those people when you perform your next assignments. Then, by the time our mission is complete, everyone in the world will be better off!" The leader declared.

Every grunt in the room broke out into celebratory cheers. Caius was jumping up and down with some of the other grunts while Raiza just stood still. The leader then walked away back through the automated door on the upper deck. A man in a suit came his way through that same door and walked up to the railing of the deck.

"Attention! I'm looking for #21 Caius, and #76 Raiza! Meet Commander Hades in his office immediately!" The gentleman shouted before exiting through the door. Every grunt in the room looked at Caius and Raiza.

"Sounds like Hades wants to meet us." Raiza remarked.

"You think? C'mon, let's go." Caius said as he and his partner made their way through the room before walking through the exit doors. Hades office was on the fourth floor, which required the 2 to take the elevator. After a couple of minutes of venturing through the headquarters, they walked through a door into an office. It was a very classy office that had red carpet, sleek brown furniture, and a big window showing off the outside of headquarters. In the middle of the room was a desk and a chair that sat someone in brown robes, a black cape and a red mask. Caius and Raiza stood up straight and raised their left hand to salute the commander.

"At ease, gentlemen." Hades spoke. The 2 grunts then noticed a familiar figure standing above Hades' chair. It was the leader of Team Immortal.

"Zeus, I believe you wanted to hear from these 2?" Hades asked his higher-in-command. Zeus began to walk over in Caius and Raiza's direction. His face was still half-covered by the shadow from his hooded white robe.

"Caius and Raiza…it's been awhile, my friends." Zeus remarked calmly.

"It's good to see you again sir," Raiza responded.

"Likewise. Now, from what Hades told me, you ran into a certain trainer on both of your previous missions."

"Yeah man! Both of them were sure a handful to deal with. We sure did underestimate them." Caius exclaimed.

"I see. Well, do you guys remember their names?"

"Um, I think…right! Justin Riser was his name. That kid was an overly-giddy one for sure!" Zeus' expression went from intrigued to shock. He didn't say a word back to Caius and just stood still. Hades looked on and walked to his side.

"Is everything all right sir?" Raiza asked. Zeus regained his senses and dropped his uneasiness.

"Yeah…its fine…Hades said he encountered him at Ruby City. I'm just reconfirming since he mentioned you encountered a similar trainer." Zeus said.

"Well, yes we did. He's quite the trainer too…for a beginner. The way he handles his Pokemon, the moves he comes up with during battle, you'd think he was an experienced trainer or something!" Caius exclaimed in an informal tone.

"He has a companion named Aly as well. She doesn't have the same energy or confidence as Justin, but can still battle. For some reason, she seems to hold back." Raiza deducted

"I see…" Zeus mumbled. Caius and Raiza looked at each other, confused about the sudden personality change in the leader.

"Very good. Hades, give them their next mission. Caius, Raiza, I'll see you both again, my brothers." Zeus said as he patted the 2 grunts' heads before making his way to the door. Hades stopped him by putting his hand on Zeus' shoulder.

"You sure you're all right." Hades asked concernedly. Zeus smiled and put his hand on Hades'

"Yes, I'm fine." Zeus remarked as he then walked out of Hades' office.

"Bro! He just patted us on the head!" Caius cried out happily.

"Buddy, relax. Come back to Earth and listen to Commander Hades." Raiza snapped. Both shifted their attention to the masked man.

"Now, from you're last mission at Amethyst Lake, you both tested the device on extracting energy out of Pokemon. This time, we'd like you both to go to Courage Mountain. The next device you'll be experimenting with is one that transfers a previous host's energy that was extracted, directly into Pokemon." Hades explained. He then walked over to his desk and turned on a projector that displayed his laptop screen up on the wall. There were bar charts, running calculations and a lot of extensive data being shown.

"We've kept the extracted energy from that Tentacruel in the lab, so use that. From our data analysis group, they've verified that it's ready to be used in the field. Find another strong Pokemon and make it your target. Other important details like how to work the device and major objectives are in your memos. Understood?"

"Yes sir!" Caius and Raiza announced as they saluted their commander.

"All right boys. Move out!"


	16. Chapter 16 - Just Gible-ing Around

_**AN: Just a heads up, if you followed the Pokémon Anime long enough up to the end of Sinnoh, this chapter's plot should seem very familiar to you. After writing this chapter, I realized that there were a bunch of similarities. Bear with me and this anime-ish chapter. Review if you have anything to say.**_

**Chapter 16: Just Gible-ing around**

"So, then I said..." Aly said as she continued on with her story to Justin. They were both walking along route 403 on their way to Courage Mountain. The terrain was getting rockier than usual, where Justin and Aly had to put a little more effort into every step.

"Can you believe her response?!" Aly exclaimed.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out from Justin's shoulder. It seemed to agree with Aly.

"Umm...sure," Justin answered unsurely.

"Were you even listening to my story?!"

"I was, I was...it's just...I don't know. Is it really that bad?"

"Ughh...boys..." Aly muttered in frustration.

"Vuie…"Eevee purred with a hint of sass in its voice.

"I don't get it!" Justin remarked. Just then, the 2 trainers saw another person in hiking gear not too far in front of them.

"Look, let's not cause a scene all right? Someone else is ahead of us." Justin pleaded.

"Fine..." Aly replied. She then looked away with her arms crossed. Eevee looked away from its trainer with its eyes closed. Justin looked at Squirtle in Aly's arms as the 2 of them sighed in disbelief. Just as he looked back up, the hiker all of a sudden vanished.

"Hey! Where'd he go?" Justin and Aly ran closer to the spot where he disappeared. As they approached closer, they began to see a hole in the ground.

"Wait, what is a hole doing he-," Aly exclaimed before Justin and her suddenly felt no ground below their feet. They both tumbled down a few meters until landing on their butts. Justin and Aly massaged their injured body parts before opening their eyes to see the same hiker from before in the hole with them.

"Are you kids all right?" he asked.

"Well...I was better before. But yeah." Justin replied. "How about you Aly? Eevee? Squirtle?"

"I'll be all right. How did we fall into this pit?" She asked.

"Because of that..." the hiker said as he pointed upwards. Justin and Aly looked in that direction to see a small dragon-like Pokemon with sharp teeth, a red underbelly and hors that resemble jet engines.

"A Gible?!" Justin exclaimed as he pulled out his Pokedex.

"**Gible, the land shark Pokemon. It attacks using its huge mouth. While its attacks are powerful, it hurts itself out of clumsiness, too.**" It stated.

"Gib, Gib Gib, Gib!" Gible laughed loudly. It pulled down one of its bottom eye lids while sticking out its tongue before walking away.

"That Gible has been causing trouble for many travellers like you guys for some time now." The hiker explained.

"Daddy!" a voice called out. All 3 of them looked up to see a young girl at the tip of the hole waving down. "I'll get you out of there Daddy!" Just then, a grayish Pokemon with huge muscles, red stripes on its arms, and a gold belt around its waist threw down a rope.

"Hikari! Machoke! Just in time!" the hiker exclaimed. Before long, Machoke and Hikari were able to pull Justin, Aly and the hiker up from the hole safely.

* * *

"Thanks for getting us out of that mess." Justin said as he sat back on the couch. He and Aly were inside a lodge owned by the hiker. He had just brought the trainers some tea and cookies as they relaxed from the incident with Gible.

"Don't worry about it. It's not the first time I've help someone in this situation." The hiker laughed. "By the way, my name is Ryu. I'm the owner of this pre-hike lodge for Courage Mountain. And you've already met my daughter Hikari, and helper Machoke!"

"Hi there!" Hikari smiled.

"Ma-choke!" Machoke cried out.

"My name is Justin Riser! I come from Eruva and wish to be a Pokemon Master!" Justin exclaimed. "And here is my partner Eevee." Eevee cried out happily from his shoulder.

"My name is Aly Eatos from Kanto, and this is my partner Squirtle!" Aly added as she also introduced Squirtle who sat on her lap.

"Hey Ryu, you said you knew that Gible from before. How?"

"Well, it all started about a few weeks ago. You see, this lodge is here as a final pit-stop for travellers before venturing around the guided area of Courage Mountain. We supply food, water, night stays and other useful resources. We've never had problems like this before. But then, a few travellers reported that a rogue Gible was playing pranks on them while reaching this lodge. Recently it's been digging potholes for unsuspecting traveller's to fall into them. Nonetheless, it's created a sense of uneasiness when coming here. Now we get fewer travellers since word is getting out about this problem. It hasn't been very good for us." Ryu explained.

"That's really unfortunate." Aly said.

"We've tried to catch the Gible, but whenever we do, we fall into one of its pranks. It's not very fun being the end of a joke all the time..." Hikari said sadly. Ryu then put his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry Hikari, we'll catch it. I promise." Ryu said as he held his daughter in.

"We'll help you guys out!" Justin stated. Ryu and Hikari looked over at him surprised.

"It's the least we can do for helping us out of that pit hole." Aly remarked.

"You both are very kind...thank you." Ryu smiled.

"Plus, I think I might want to catch that Gible! They're pretty strong and full of energy. So catching one will bring me a step closer to Pokemon Master!" Justin exclaimed as he raised his fist in the air. Eevee imitated its trainer by lifting its paw in the air as well.

"Of course it will..." Aly sighed in embarrassment. Ryu, Hikari and Machoke gave a little laugh.

* * *

The entire group walked outside of the lodge. The sun was shining down brightly with not a single cloud in the sky. The view was stunning with the blue-ish sky and detailed rocky terrain.

"So you're saying Gible comes back in front of this lodge once it pranks someone?" Aly asked.

"That seems to be the case. We usually here a scream and once we walk outside to investigate, Gible appears next to that tree laughing its butt off." Ryu stated as he pointed to a nearby tree.

"Man, I can't wait to find that Gible and catch it! We'll help out Ryu, and I'll get a new Pokemon!" Justin exclaimed.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out from his shoulder.

"Be careful though Justin, that Gible is really tricky."

"AHHHH!" a voice screamed from the distance. It startled everyone as they jolted up a bit. Hikari grabbed on to her dad while Aly tugged a bit on Justin's backpack.

"It got another one..." Aly muttered.

"Squirtle..." Squirtle cried out sadly.

"That's our cue. Hikari, you and Machoke help that traveller. I'm sure it's another pothole prank, so bring the rope." Ryu explained.

"You got it Daddy! Good luck you guys." Hikari said as she and Machoke ran away down the dirt path.

"Now, let's get behind those bushes and hide there until Gible comes." Ryu suggested.

"Sounds good!" Justin and Aly replied. They all then went behind a batch of bushes near the lodge and looked through the small holes in them. A few minutes past and nothing happened.

"Are you sure Gible comes out here?" Aly asked.

"Yep, just be patient." Ryu replied.

"Hey, check it out!" Justin exclaimed. The other 2 looked on to see the ground shaking a little. Moments later, something popped from underground. It was Gible who came out and landed on the ground near the lodge. It then picked up a small rock and threw it at the lodge door.

"Gib, Gible!" Gible cried out.

"Now, let's go teach that Gible a lesson." Ryu said. Justin and Aly nodded and with that, they all jumped out from the bushes and confronted Gible.

"We've got you this time Gible!" Justin shouted. Gible then looked in their direction.

"You've been doing a lot of mean things to travellers lately." Aly stated.

"That's right! And now it's time for you to pay!" Ryu yelled as he jumped towards Gible with his arms spread to catch it. Gible jumped up at the last minute, causing Ryu to fall onto the ground. Once Gible started to fall, it landed right on his head with its mouth biting it onto Justin's head. Eevee jumped to the ground as Gible closed in on its space.

"AHHHHHHH!" Justin cried out as he began running around in circles, trying to pull Gible off his head. Eevee was chasing Justin to try and help him. Aly, Squirtle and Ryu looked on in disbelief.

"...I wonder what goes through Gible's mind when it does that..." Aly remarked.

"You got me...but I'll tell ya. Gible looks like it's having a good time doing it." Ryu stated. Aly looked in closer and saw that Gible had a happy expression on its face.

"It looks like it's having fun. And likes Justin for some reason..." Aly said.

"WHY DON"T YOU GUYS STOP OBSERVING AND HELP ME!" Justin shouted in pain.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out as it formed a shadow ball attack and aimed it straight at Gible. Gible jumped out of the way just in time and the attack hit Justin square in the face, causing a smoke explosion.

"Ooo...that's gonna leave a mark." Aly said cringing. Once the smoke started to dissipate, Justin's face became visible, only it was covered in black sut with a dazed expression.

"Nice job...Eevee...you're attacks are...much stronger..." Justin said weakly as he then fell backwards onto the ground. Eevee cried out worriedly as it rushed to its trainer's aid.

"Gib, Gib, Gib!" Gible started to laugh.

"Now you've done it!" Justin roared back at Gible as he quickly stood back up.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out angrily. Gible just continued to jump around and laugh joyfully.

"You know...it seems like Gible thinks Justin is playing around with it." Ryu stated.

"Gible!" Gible cried out before using dig to go underground.

"What?!" Justin exclaimed. He then looked around to see where Gible could pop up from. Moments later, he felt the earth below him shake. Right then, Gible emerged from underground right under Justin, knocking him backwards onto his butt.

"Oww...man this is getting old." Justin remarked.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out as it chased after Gible. Gible then dug another hole to avoid Eevee. Eevee began to look around to see where Gible would pop up. Seconds later, Gible emerged again underneath Justin and knocked backwards onto the ground.

"AHHHH! I"VE HAD IT!" Justin yelled out in anger. Gible jumped for joy and giggled.

"Wow...Gible's really getting to Justin." Ryu stated from the sidelines.

'Yeah...actually, it's kind of funny to watch." Aly said as she giggled a bit. "Should we help him?"

"To tell the truth, I think I understand Gible a bit more. It must have been lonely where it lived in the mountains. So, it would play pranks on incoming travellers to have a little fun. And now, it seems to have found a new play buddy in Justin..."

"That's it. I'm going to end this...and catch you! Go Mudkip!" Justin cried out as he threw a Pokeball from his belt. Out came the blue mud fish Pokemon into battle.

"Mud-kip!" Mudkip cried out.

"Mudkip, use your water gun attack!" Justin commanded. Mudkip released a giant stream of water right at Gible. The attack made contact with the dragon Pokemon and sent it back onto the ground. It got up quickly though and jumped up and down laughing before raising its arm in the air. Gible's hand lit up before it charged right at Mudkip.

"That's Rock Smash!" Ryu stated.

"Mudkip! Dodge it!" Justin commanded. Mudkip jumped out of the way as Gible swiped its arm. It missed and continued straight towards a big boulder. Gible ran into the boulder which created a grey smoke explosion. Moments later, Gible came out of the smoke explosion with another charged up Rock Smash attack. This time it hit Mudkip and sent the water Pokemon flying to the side and onto the ground.

"Mudkip! Hang in there!' Justin called out. Mudkip recovered quickly and stood back up.

"Now, use you tackle attack!" Mudkip charged in full steam ahead and rammed right into Gible, sending it backwards into a tree stump. Gible slid down the stump onto the ground, but got back up instantly.

"Now, use your water gun!" Justin commanded. Mudkip released a stream of water directly at Gible. Just before impact, Gible quickly dug into the underground and avoided the attack.

"Oh crap! Not this again!" Justin and Mudkip looked around the area to find any possible clue as to where Gible could emerge. A few looks to the left and right before rumbling occurred. Gible popped up from the underground, though it was behind Mudkip and in front of Justin. It flew in the air and landed right on Justin's head again, biting it.

"AHHHHHH!" Justin cried out in pain. Ryu and Aly just sighed after that.

"All right...we better help him now." Ryu suggested.

"Right." Aly replied as Ryu and she ran near Justin.

"Squirtle, use your water gun on Gible!" Aly commanded.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out as it unleashed a strong stream of water towards Gible. Mudkip also shot a water gun attack that combined with Squirtle's. The water went straight at Justin's head which covered it completely. Gible was taken off Justin's head and into the air. It flew far into the woods before landing behind some trees far away. Once the water gun attack stopped, Justin's face was soaked as he had another dazed expression.

"Good...job...Mudkip...Squirtle..." he said as he fell backwards onto the ground.

"That Gible seemed to really like you." Aly stated

"Yes, I concur. Just watching it battle with you, biting your head, or digging underground to knock you over. I've haven't seen a happier Pokemon than it." Ryu stated.

Justin began to recall what went on. It was true. Through his frustrated self, he saw that Gible was really enjoying its time with Justin.

"Wait? Where's Gible now?" Justin asked.

"Well, when we got it off of you with water gun, it kind of flew into the forest." Aly said.

"Do you think we should go find it? Make sure it's not hurt?"

"Yeah...that would be smart. Mudkip, good job today. Return!" Justin said as he raised Mudkip's Pokeball and returned it.

"I'll catch up with you kids later. Hikari and Machoke are taking a little longer than usual so I'm going to check up on them." Ryu explained.

"All right Ryu. See you soon." Aly answered. With that, Ryu went in the direction where Hikari and Machoke took off. Justin and Aly started to run in the direction of the forest with Eevee and Squirtle in their usual spots. They ran through quite a number of trees and bushes, but saw no sign of Gible yet.

"I hope the water gun attack didn't shoot Gible too far..." Aly said worriedly.

"I wouldn't fret over it. Gible has so much energy that it's probably running in our direction, back to the lodge." Justin reassured.

"...you're right. I guess I'm worrying too much" Aly giggled. The 2 trainers continued their search until they emerged out of the forest and near a dirt path that had a cliff. The 2 stared straight into the distance to see the blue sky and another forest on the lower level below the cliff.

"Wow...what a view eh?" Justin remarked.

"It's beautiful." Aly added. Just then, they heard a certain cry that sounded familiar.

"Gib! Gible!"

"Wait, that's Gible's voice!" Aly said. Justin and she began to look around the area for any sign of the small dragon Pokemon. Another cry signalled that the voice came from over the cliff. Justin and Aly ran to the tip of the cliff and looked down.

"Gible!" Gible cried out frightened. It was holding onto a small branch that was sticking out of the mountain wall.

"Oh no! Look where it ended up!" Aly exclaimed.

"Aly, see if you can go back and get Ryu. He has the rope that was used to get us out of that pothole. I'll stay here and keep an eye out for Gible." Justin explained.

"Ok, I'll be back soon." With that, Aly ran the other way to get some help. Justin turned around and looked below at Gible.

"Don't worry Gible. Help is on that way!" Justin called out. Just then, the branch began to snap and Gible dropped a bit further.

"GIBLE! GIBLE!" Gible screeched in fear.

"No Gible!" Justin quickly took off his backpack and placed Eevee from his shoulder on the ground.

"Eevee...wait here, ok." Justin said to his partner.

"Viue! Eevuie!" Eevee shook its head and jumped back on Justin's shoulder.

"...I guess you made up your mind huh. Just hold on tight ok?"

"Vy!" Justin then turned around and started to slowly climb down the mountain. He used the grooves sticking out of the formation to assist his descent.

"GIB!" Gible cried out, worried for Justin's safety.

"Not to worry Gible! I'll be careful. And I'll get you back up." Justin exclaimed. Gible's eyes began to sparkle as it admired the courage this trainer showed to helping it out. Justin carefully scaled down the mountain and eventually reached Gible's level.

"All right Gible! Hop onto my shoulder!" Justin explained. Eevee switched to Justin's other shoulder so Gible would have a slot. Gible gave confident look and nodded. It started to rock back and forward on the branch to gain some momentum. Once it got some distance, Gible let go and swung from the branch and barely onto Justin's shoulder. It struggled to stay still but eventually got a good grip.

"Nice job Gible!" Justin exclaimed.

"Ee-vy!" Eevee cried out happily.

"Gible!" Gible cried out happily. It was so relived to be saved that it licked Justin on the face.

"Haha, that tickles! But we're not there yet. Now we gotta climb up!" Justin said. With that, he began to climb up the mountain. It was a fairly easy climb for Justin as he felt scaling up the mountain was easier that down it. Everything was going smoothly until he grabbed onto one groove which snapped off the rock formation.

"CRAP!" Justin yelled as he began to descend down the mountain. He screamed the way down until his hand caught onto another groove further away from the top. He was dangling side to side with no strength to use his other arm and grab the other nearby groove.

"Eevee! Gible! Are you guys ok?" Justin asked the Pokémon.

"Ee-vuie…" Eevee cried out softly. Gible nodded as it held on tightly to Justin.

"Man…this isn't what I expected from today. But, being trying to be a hero from this rock climbing is kind of sweet, eh Eevee?" Justin said lightly to Eevee while giving a little laugh. Eevee sighed at Justin's attempt to lighten the dire situation.

"JUSTIN!" a voice cried out from the top of the cliff. Justin looked up to see Aly and Hikari looking down at him. Ryu and Machoke were there as well.

"JUST HOLD ON!" Aly cried out. Ryu then tossed the rope down the cliff until it reached Justin.

"JUSTIN! GRAB ONTO THE ROPE! MACHOKE AND I WILL PULL YOU UP!" Ryu yelled.

The rope was right beside him so it was easy to grab a hold of it. He quickly released his other hand from the groove and grabbed onto the rope.

"GOT IT!" Justin shouted back. Ryu and Machoke then used all of their strength to slowly pull Justin up the cliff. Aly, Squirtle and Hikari ran behind the 2 and began to pull on the rope too. Before long, Justin, Eevee and Gible were safely back on land.

"Phew...that was close." Justin sighed of relief. "You 2 ok?"

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out happily as she jumped into Justin's arms.

"Gible!" Gible screeched out as it bit on Justin's head again. Justin got ready to yelp from the pain, but this time he didn't feel it.

"Gible! NO...hey wait. It doesn't hurt!" The whole group noticed Gible's happy expression it wore.

"Look like Gible is thanking you for saving it." Ryu said.

"You're a hero Justin!" Hikari exclaimed.

"I'm just glad you're safe." Aly remarked. Justin smiled at everyone and then looked up at Gible.

"_I'm glad Gible is doing much better...even if it was a pain in the butt before all this happened._" He thought. He felt he did the right thing to help it out.

* * *

The whole group was back in front of the lodge with everyone standing on one side and Gible on the other.

"Now Gible. I know you were only having fun, but we need you to stop playing those pranks on incoming travellers. It's hurting the reputation of this lodge and people are getting hurt in the process." Justin explained.

"Gib..."Gible apologized as hit sulked its head lower.

"It's ok Gible. But you know, there are other ways to interact with people and have fun." Justin said as he walked up to Gible and petted it on the head. Gible smiled and went back to lightly biting Justin on the head. The whole gang along with Justin laughed. Justin then took Gible off his head and placed it on the ground.

"You take care of yourself Gible."

"Gible!" Gible cried out before digging itself underground. Justin turned around and walked back to Aly.

"Well, shall we go up the Mountain now?" he asked.

"Oh, leaving all ready?" Ryu stated.

"Yeah, it's best that we get over the Mountain to Zircon City before night time." Aly replied.

"Oh, I understand...well, thanks again for all your help. Because of you guys, the Gible problem is now solved!"

"Thanks again!" Hikari exclaimed.

"Ma-choke!" Machoke cried out, thanking the 2 trainers as well.

"It was our pleasure." Justin said.

"Hope everything goes well for you now!" Aly added. They all exchanged handshakes before the 2 trainers turning around to walk up the path. Ryu and Hikari waved until both trainers were out of sight before going back into the lodge. As they walked through the door, they both sat down on their couch and relaxed.

* * *

"Hey, didn't you say you wanted to catch that Gible?" Aly asked.

"Huh?" Justin gasped.

"Yeah, you were all like 'I'm going to catch that Gible to bring me closer to a Pokemon Master' or something like that."

"...HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOT?!" Justin cried out dramatically before falling to his knees and sulking hard. Aly, Squirtle and Eevee looked on and sighed in disbelief.

"Eevee...I'll say it again. You have a dramatic trainer..." Aly remarked.

"Vuie..." Eevee sighed.

"C'mon now. You'll have your chance to catch another later. Let's continue."

"...I guess..." Justin muttered before pulling himself up and continuing to walk. The 2 trainers were just about to reach the top of the path and officially be on Courage Mountain. Behind them though was a tall rock formation on the side of the path. Something appeared from behind the formation and looked on at the 2 trainers.

"...Gib?"

* * *

Back at the lodge, Ryu's radio walky-talky began to vibrate. Ryu quickly walked up to the table and grabbed it.

"Ryu here, what's up?" Ryu talked into the device. A voice began to speak out of it.

"Sir, there's been reported shakings and rock slides on Courage Mountain. Apparently, a suspicious group called-"


	17. Chapter 17 - Courage Mountain Separation

**_AN: Wow, it's been awhile since I've last updated. Wonder if I still have followers haha. I'm sorry for the looonnnggg delay. School and Co-op duties have eaten a lot of my time recently so I haven't been able to dedicate much time to writing. I'm hoping that it won't take this long for updates in the future, though I can't promise anything. _  
**

**Chapter 17: Courage Mountain Separation**

The air started to get a little cooler thanks to the higher altitude on Courage Mountain. Justin had his grey coat while Aly put on her blue hoodie sweater. They were both holding onto their Pokemon, Eevee and Squirtle, in their arms for extra warmth.

"It sure got cooler all of a sudden..." Justin remarked.

"For sure. It's getting late too, so the temperature must be dropping. I guess we should have stayed at that lodge for the night." Aly added.

"Nonsense, we're more than halfway there! We'll make it at least by sunset!"

"Squirtle..." Squirtle cried out shivering. It then sneezed and sniffled.

"Squirtle, you must have caught a cold. Why don't you back in your Pokeball to rest up?" Aly suggested to the blue turtle Pokemon.

"Squirt..." It nodded. Aly got out Squirtle's Pokeball and returned it.

The 2 trainers continued on that path specifically paved out for trainers to hike the mountain and get to Zircon City. The ground was surprisingly smooth while there were little directional signs with map images of the mountain to help trainers know their location.

"Man, I'm so upset I didn't catch that Gible..." Justin moaned.

"Well, you did save it from falling down that cliff. That must have been distracted you from your previous intentions. You did a good thing back there so I'd be proud of that." Aly commented.

"Ee-vuie," Eevee cried out, agreeing with Aly.

"Yeah, I guess you guys are right." Justin replied, looking a little happier. All of a sudden, they felt the ground shaking heavily. It was so much vibration that the trainers almost lost their balance. After a few seconds, it stopped.

"Whoa! What was that?!" Aly yelped as he regained her balance.

"I'm not sure, but damn that was rough." Justin added.

Right after, they saw the ground in front of them shake, but not at the same magnitude as before. Moments later, something popped up from the ground and landed right in front of the 2 trainers. It was a Pokémon...a really familiar one.

"Gible..."

"...Gible?" Aly said confused.

"Wait...what are you doing here?" Justin asked. Gible proceeded to jumping in the air and biting on Justin's head.

"OWOWOWOWOW!" Justin yelled as he dropped Eevee from his arms, ran around in circles while trying to pull Gible off his head.

"Same old Gible..." Aly sighed. Justin stopped running and pulled as hard as he could to get Gible off his head.

"Geez, Gible...you startled me there..." Justin panted as he tried to catch his breath.

"Gible!" Gible cried out happily as it began to lick Justin's face.

"Hey, stop! That tickles!" Justin giggled. Aly and Eevee then had a smile on their face.

"You followed us all the way up here Gible?"

"Gib, Gib!" Gible nodded.

"Well, Gible, do you want to-" Justin asked before getting interrupted by another rumbling of the mountain. This time it was worse than before with the trainers and Pokemon falling onto the ground.

"Geez, what is going on?" Aly asked frustrated.

"I don't know, but this is getting really annoying!" Justin remarked. The mountain began to shake again, with a smoke explosion occurring further up the path.

"I wonder if that's the cause of the rumblings."

"Maybe someone is in trouble..." Aly commented worriedly.

"Well, let's check." With that, the 2 trainers and their Pokemon began to run up the path to find out what was going on. Gible stood still for a bit before digging underground once again.

The 2 trainers ran up the mountain for a bit before finally reached the site of the smoke explosion which had just dissipated. There was a silver grey serpentine Pokemon that was made of rock like sections. It had an angry expression with a wide jaw and huge teeth. Standing before the Pokemon were 2 men in brown robes and black capes. They turned around to face the 2 trainers where they all put on surprised expressions.

"What? Caius and Raiza?!" Justin exclaimed.

"And it looks like a Steelix too!" Aly added. She then got out her Pokedex to identify the Pokemon.

"**Steelix, the iron snake Pokemon. It is thought its body transformed as a result of iron accumulating internally from swallowing soil." **The Pokedex stated.

"Raiza, it's the 2 kids again!" Caius pointed out.

"Look kids, we're pretty busy right here. Go away, it's dangerous." Raiza demanded.

"RUUUUURGHHH!" Steelix screeched out before lifting up its tail and slamming down in the Team Immortal grunts direction. They swiftly dodged the attack by jumping to the sides. Once Steelix's tail made impact with the ground, the mountain shook again. With Justin and Aly being so close to the attack, it actually lifted them and their Pokemon up in the air only to fall onto the ground hard.

"What are you guys doing to this Steelix?" Justin yelled out.

"Not that it's your business, but we're trying out our new contraption." Caius said as he dodged another attack from Steelix. Justin and Aly looked up at Steelix. It definitely seemed angry and in pain, but not like how that Tentacruel was back at Amethyst Lake.

"Its eyes aren't red. It doesn't seem to be hypnotized by EM waves. But what's wrong with it?!" Aly remarked.

"It's merely just the energy we gained from Tentacruel slowly transferring into Steelix. Every passing second, Steelix's power and strength is increasing. And it's all thanks to this!" Raiza explained as he showed off his right wrist. It was a like a watch except where the clock display was had a small satellite dish with a pointer in the middle.

"That's just not right..." Justin remarked as he clenched his fist in anger.

"Now, if you kids don't mind, leave at once. Caius and I need to finish this field test quickly." Raiza barked before turning his attention to the Iron Snake Pokemon.

"Justin...I'm really worried for Steelix..."Aly mentioned as she pulled on his coat. Justin just looked on at Steelix, who he could see was suffering a lot as if it were under the influence of EM waves.

"I have to stop them...I need to destroy their watches." Justin remarked.

"How are you going to do that? It's too dangerous to get close there. Don't do anything rash."

"I just can't sit here and do nothing. Steelix needs our help!" With that, Justin ran into the fray and grabbed onto Caius' arm.

"Justin, don't do it!" Aly cried out.

"What? Let me go kid!" Caius yelled as he tried to push Justin away while tugging his arm away.

"Not until you stop this madness and let Steelix go!" Justin yelled back as he pulled Caius' arm his way. He began to use his other arm to reach for the Boost Cannon on Caius' wrist. Eevee used its mouth to help pull on Caius' arm too.

"Justin! Be careful!" Aly called out worriedly.

"What? Oh my lord..." Raiza retorted as he began to run towards the 2 and help Caius.

"NO!" Aly cried out as she ran in the direction Raiza. She caught up to him and pulled to restrict his movement.

"Let go!" Raiza demanded. He began to squirm around to free himself from Aly. Aly would not let go.

"RAIZA! WATCH OUT!" Caius called out. Raiza looked at Caius, who was staring at Steelix. The iron snake Pokemon was right in front of Raiza and Aly.

"RUUURGHHHHH!" Steelix cried out angrily. Its gigantic tail lit up and was raised right above the 2. Seconds later, it started to descend rapidly in order to crush them with an Iron Tail attack.

"ALYY!" Justin cried out. Aly saw what was coming and froze. Raiza quickly broke free from Aly, carried her in his arms and barely jumped out of the way of the Iron tail attack. The attack was so powerful that part of the path that Raiza and Aly were on broke from the mountain and started to fall down a cliff.

"NOOO! ALYYYY!" Justin called out.

"JUSTIN!" Aly yelled as she and Raiza descended downwards off the mountain and into the dark space below.

"RAIZA!" Caius called out as he watched his partner fall down with Aly. They both let go of each other and ran to the edge of the path. However, Steelix got in their way and raised its tail for another Iron Tail attack. Its tail rose and then started to descend right above Caius.

"Watch out!" Justin yelled as he grabbed Caius' arm and pulled him away before getting crushed.

"Eevee, use your shadow ball attack!"

"EE-VY!" Eevee cried out as it released a ball of dark energy at Steelix. The iron snake Pokemon used its tail to deflect the attack to the side. It then launched a hyper beam attack right in front of Eevee. The impact of the attack blew Eevee backwards before Justin caught his Pokemon in his arms.

"Eevee! Are you all right?" Justin asked concernedly.

"Vie..." Eevee cried out softly.

Steelix once again used Iron tail just before Justin and Caius. The vibrations from the attack knocked Caius onto Justin and the 2 started rolling down the marked path where Justin and Aly came from. The 2 tumbled hard down the path before they finally stopped on a flat surface of the path. Giant rocks from the higher level of the mountain fell in front of them, obstructing their way. Justin tried to stand up but was too much in pain. He looked over to his right to see that Caius was knocked out. Eevee was also knocked out on his left. He slowly then got to his knees.

"Aly...Aly..." Justin muttered softly before losing consciousness and collapsing to the ground.

Raiza stared up to see the part of the mountain that had broken off thanks to Steelix's Iron tail.

"_This is troubling...how am I going to get up now." _He thought to himself. He pulled out his radio from his pocket, but the battery was dead. Raiza put it away and looked on at the small river that was before him.

"_It's a good thing this river being here helped a lot. I don't understand how or why it's here. Regardless...I don't know if we'd survive without it." _He thought to himself again. He had fallen to the bottom of a valley, though landing in a deep, unexpected pool of water ensured their survival. Raiza turned around and walked over to an unconscious Aly, whose head was resting on Raiza's cape and was covered in Raiza's robes. He then took a seat right beside her head.

"What a stupid girl..." Raiza muttered softly. When they both fell into the river, he found her floating in the water. She was still breathing, signalling she was alive. He pulled her out and rested her on a non rocky area, using his clothes as a blanket and pillow. Raiza was about to check her pulse on her neck when all of a sudden, a light shined from her belt. One of her Pokeballs opened and out came a blue turtle Pokemon.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out, making a peace sign with its hand. It then dropped its flashy move and expression to analyze the situation. It saw its trainer on the ground not awake.

"Squirtle!' Squirtle cried out worriedly as it rushed to its trainer's side. It put its hands on Aly's arm and shook her a bit to try and wake her up. Squirtle then looked the other way and saw a familiar Team Immortal enemy.

"SQUIRTLE!" Squirtle barked out as it got into a fighting stance.

"Relax." Raiza snapped back. "You should be thanking me. I might have saved your trainer's life."

Squirtle let its guard down to realize that he may be telling the truth. It looked back at Aly with a worried expression. Raiza proceeded to checking Aly's pulse by feeling it on her neck.

"She's still got a pulse, so she's alive." Raiza remarked.

"Squirtle..." Squirtle sighed. Just then, Aly's eyes began to squint as she began to wake up.

"...huh...where...am I?" She muttered softly.

"SQUIRTLE!" Squirtle cried out happily as the Pokemon hugged its trainer.

"...Huh, what? Squirtle? How'd...you get out...of your ball?" Aly asked brokenly.

"It must have wanted to check on you..." Raiza remarked. Aly then got her senses back to find Raiza sitting before her.

"What? You..." Aly exclaimed as she started to sit up. She got to her knees and put pressure onto her right leg, but felt an immense pain and fell back a little. Raiza put his hands on her shoulders, preventing her from getting up.

"Don't push yourself..." Raiza said calmly. Aly looked into his eyes to see that he was actually concerned for her.

"...um...ok." She blushed slightly.

"Good..." Raiza then stood up and walked back to the edge of the river. Aly watched him walk over and look up to observe the mountain. She then noticed that his brown robes were covering her like a blanket.

"Tell me Squirtle. Did he actually save me?" She asked.

"Squirt, Squirtle." Squirtle said unsure.

"Hmm..."

Raiza continued to search around to locate any possible way of getting back up the mountain. The sun was setting so there wasn't much light where they were. He continued to look around when all of a sudden he found an inclined path down the river that seemed to lead up the mountain. Raiza ran a little farther to reach the discovered path and examined it. The ground was incredibly rocky and unbalanced, but it did lead up Courage Mountain. To where, he didn't know, but at least it was a way up

"_Perfect. This route can at least get us up the mountain." _He thought to himself. Raiza briskly walked back to where Aly was resting.

"Good news, I found a path that can take us up the mountain." Raiza stated.

"Really? That's great!" Aly exclaimed. "Let's go now!" She started to stand up, but her injured leg prevented her from getting up. Raiza kneeled down to her level where they were face to face.

"Listen. I told you no to push yourself. Stay down and rest up." Raiza said firmly. Aly shuddered a little bit, but understood his concern.

"The sun is setting right now, so it's dangerous to go out venturing up a mountain in the dark. We'll wait here until morning. Hopefully your injury will heal enough for you to walk again." Raiza explained.

"Oh...umm...I guess that'll work." Aly replied nervously. Raiza then sat right beside her and looked up at the sky.

"Um, Raiza." Aly asked. Raiza looked over at the female trainer. He had a serious expression on his face.

"What is it...Aly?" He answered. Aly gasped inside her thoughts. He actually called her by her name.

"Oh...um, I was thinking..."

Caius awoke suddenly from his sleep.

"_What...What happened...Where...am I?" _He thought to himself

He turned his head around to see where he was. His head was supported by a brown backpack that felt comfortable right up against the mountain wall. Over him was a dark grey jacket that covered him just above his knees. He tried to sit up using his hands, but felt a sharp pain run through his right arm and instantly dropped back down.

"Damn...that really hurt." He muttered under his breath. Just then, something way ahead of him caught his attention. There was a boy in a white t shirt and beige pants right near the wall of rocks that blocked the laid out path around Courage Mountain. It was Justin. He was with 3 Pokemon, an Eevee, Mudkip and Combusken. They seemed to be trying to attack the wall of rocks. Justin was also trying to pull rocks away.

"Keep trying guys!" Justin yelled out. His Pokemon cried out in their respective tongue as they continued to attack the rocky obstacle.

"_Aly...I'm coming for you..." _Justin thought to himself as he willed his way at tearing down the rocks. It was only a matter of time before his Pokemon and he began to feel tired and attack softer. Justin and his Pokemon finally stopped their efforts and sat back on their bottoms, panting hard.

"Well guys...it's not use." Justin said. His Pokemon sighed in disappointment after. He then looked back to see if Caius was awake. All of a sudden, he felt the earth below him rumble. AS soon as he looked down, something came up from underground and knocked him on his bum. Out came a familiar Pokémon.

"Ow...huh? Gible?" Justin said surprised.

"Gible!" Gible cried out as it jumped into Justin's arms and hugged him. It startled him before eventually hugging it back.

"Wow, I thought you disappeared." Justin giggled. Eevee, Mudkip and Combusken went around Justin to say hi to Gible. Gible looked around with a smile and said Hi back. They all had a group laugh after.

"_It's nice to see Gible getting along with all of my pals." _Justin smiled. He then looked back at Caius direction to see he was sitting upwards against the wall. Justin quickly got up and ran in his direction. His Pokemon and Gible followed in behind.

"Oh, so you're finally up eh?" Justin said.

"What happened?" Caius asked.

"Well, that Steelix you guys were messing with got out of hand and knocked Aly and your buddy off the mountain cliff. After that, it attacked and knocked us down the path here. Once that happened, a landslide of rocks came down from the mountain and fell onto the path. I awoke and found you unconscious beside me. So, I decided to tend to you. You've been out for about an hour, so I tried to clear the rocks with my Pokemon." Justin explained.

"Hmm...I see." Caius replied. He then gripped on his right arm feeling more pain against it.

"Your arm is hurt isn't it?" Justin exclaimed as he reached in. Caius though used his other arm and pushed Justin back.

"I'm fine!" He barked back. After, the pain felt worse as he clenched the injured arm even more.

"Um, clearly you're not." Justin said back. "Now drop the tough guy act and let me help you."

He reached in with his coat and created a kind of sling to support Caius' arm. Caius let his arm hang loose and felt no pain.

"There, better?" Justin said with a smile. Caius gave off a confused look.

"...I suppose..." He said back unsympathetically.

"Heh heh, well, good to hear." Justin said brightly as he giggled a bit.

"_Why is he helping me?" _Caius thought to himself. Justin had always been a big nuisance to plans of Team Immortal. And yet, the trainer was set on helping him.

"Umm...thanks...for helping my arm."

"Hey, I just did what anyone else would've done." Justin gave thumbs up. Caius smiled slightly. Just then, they heard a cry from below edge of the mountain path

"Did you hear that?" Caius asked.

"I did...it sounded like..." Justin remarked before what made the noise arose to their level. It was a Pidgeotto.

"WOW! IT"S A PIDGEOTTO!" Justin exclaimed in joy. He then hopped up and down in excitement. "This is so cool!"

Caius watched the jubilant trainer with confusion. _"This trainer gets way too excited." _But something then came to Caius.

`Wait...what`s a Pidgeotto doing all the way in a mountain area?" Caius asked. Justin stopped bopping around and turned around. "Unless...it's..."

With that, Pidgeotto saw Caius as flew head on towards him.

"Watch out!" Justin called out as he thought Pidgeotto was going to attack him. Seconds later, he was proved wrong with the sight of Pidgeotto snuggling against Caius' chest. Caius caressed the bird Pokemon head as if he knew it.

"Wait...you know this Pidgeotto?" Justin asked surprised.

"Why yes...it's Raiza's."

_**Remember to review if you have any feedback.**_


	18. Chapter 18 - Courage Mountain Frenzy

_**A/N: Little longer delay again. Might be like this for awhile up until finals are over. It is a little longer chapter than usual, I apologize (although FF Doc editor adds an extra 400 words on their word counter for some reason).**_

**Chapter 18: Courage Mountain Frenzy**

"My bud is all right! That's awesome news to know." Caius noticed a piece of paper in between the beak of Pidgeotto.

"Looks like a note." Caius said as he took the paper, unfolded it and read it.

"_Caius, its Raiza. Hopefully this finds you. I'm perfectly fine. We've fallen down a valley in the mountain, but it isn't that far down. It's late and getting dark, so we'll try to meet up with you tomorrow. I'll use Pidgeotto as a guide to where we are. – Raiza" _The note read out.

"He said we...so, that must mean that Aly is fine too!" Justin exclaimed. He then turned to all his Pokémon: Eevee, Combusken, Mudkip and the wild Gible.

"Aly is safe. Isn't that great news guys?" He asked. The Pokemon cheered happily.

"Great...so this means I have to spend the night with you?" Caius remarked bluntly.

"Bro! Relax, or do you forget that I helped out when you were unconscious."

"Bro! We wouldn't be in this mess if you kids didn't interfere with our plan." Caius raised his uninjured arm and grab Justin by his shirt. Eevee, Combusken, Mudkip and Gible all gathered to surround Caius, ready to attack him. Justin used one of his hands to signal his Pokemon not to attack.

"Listen man, whether you like it or not, you're stuck here with me for the night. You're hurt too, so pushing yourself and arguing with me isn't going to help. So, just drop it." Justin said while gasping for air. Caius looked at him for a bit before releasing his grip on Justin. Justin coughed a little before catching his breath. The Pokemon gathered to see if he was all right, which he indicated that he was.

"Pidgeotto, thanks for the note. Go back to Raiza now." Caius said to the bird Pokemon. Pidgeotto nodded and flew away down into the valley of the mountain.

"Why...why does this always happen to me..." Caius mumbled out loud as he walked towards the mountain wall. He slouched up against it and dropped to his butt while muttering more negative comments.

"In pain...it's me. Suffering...it's always me. I swear, once Team immortal completes its goal, I'll never experience these feelings anymore."

Justin just looked on and listened to Caius' rant. What did Caius mean when he went off saying why this always happens to him? He and the Pokemon slowly walked up to the Team immortal subordinate.

"Look man, just rest here, all right? We'll figure this out." Justin smiled. Caius looked at him briefly before turning his head away. Eevee, Combusken, Mudkip and Gible looked up at Justin to see his reaction.

"Well, it can't be helped." Justin said calmly to the Pokemon. "Now, what you all say we try to break down that wall of boulders once more?" He spoke with more energy. All the Pokemon cried out loudly in agreement as they rushed towards the boulder wall again to break it down. Caius turned his head slightly to see what was going on.

"…Hmph..."

* * *

It was night time where the sky turned dark, the moon shined brightly and the weather cooled down considerably. Deep down in the mountain's valley where Raiza and Aly were, it was a miracle that there was some light down there thanks to the moon's brightness. The 2 of them were able to find some wood from trees in order to make a fire pit. Aly called out her Vulpix to create a fire on the wood. Both of them sat on opposite ends of the fire, extending their arms in to warm them up.

"Do you think Pidgeotto made it to Justin and...was it Caius?" Aly asked.

"I hope so. I attached a letter indicating that we're safe and to meet up tomorrow. Looking up at the mountain, it doesn't seem like we fell as far as expected. So hiking shouldn't be too difficult."

"I see..." An awkward silence came about, where Aly and Raiza just stared at the lowly fire.

"How's your leg?" Raiza asked.

"Oh...um, well it doesn't hurt as much as before. Maybe by tomorrow, I'll be normal?" Aly responded.

"Just don't push yourself..." Aly was surprised. How could Raiza, a member of Team Immortal who Justin and her had many altercations with, be so caring now.

"Raiza..." Raiza turned his head towards Aly.

"Why are you being so helpful to me? You're part of Team Immortal, and I'm someone who's been trying to stop your plans. Yet, you're taking care of me. It just doesn't make sense for someone part of an evil organization..." Aly remarked timidly. She wondered if he would leave her after those comments.

"...you really think Team Immortal is doing all these things for evil?" Raiza asked.

"_Duh, of course I do. Look at the things you've done."_She said in her mind.

"In time, you'll know..." Raiza smiled before lying down on the ground. Just then, they heard a cry of a Pokemon. Aly and Raiza looked up to see a shadowed figure descending towards them. Once it was closer, they were able to identify it.

"Pidgeotto!" Raiza called out. He sat back up extended his arm out so Pidgeotto could land on it.

"You find Caius?"

"Geo-tto!" Pidgeotto cried out while nodding.

"I see. And they got the note I assume. What about the boy?" Pidgeotto nodded again.

"Oh, thank goodness...I'm so glad he's ok." Aly said as she began to cry a little in relief.

"You really care about him, don't you?" Raiza remarked as he returned Pidgeotto to its Pokeball.

"Of course I do. Justin's my first friend I made here in Minero. We've been through a lot together in short time. He's kind, positive, strong-willed, dramatic yes, but overall a good person."

"I'll admit, he's different from the people we've come across. But you... you seem to rely on him a lot."

"...no, you're right." Aly muttered as she wiped away her tears. "I do rely on him too much. He's got a goal to win the Minero League and eventually become a Pokemon Master. Me? I don't know what I want to do. I'm not all that good at battling, or being a trainer. I'm very weak and limited."

"You shouldn't put yourself down like that." Raiza commented. Aly gasped as she looked at him.

"I'm sure your friend says that a lot. People have different strengths. You'll find yours eventually. Having someone who cares about you by your side could help and make a difference...trust me."

Aly just looked on at him, not knowing what to say after his advice.

"Well, we should rest. We'll need strength to hike the mountain tomorrow." Raiza said. He lied on the ground and turned in the opposite direction of Aly. Aly then recalled Squirtle and Vulpix into their Pokeballs and snuggled back into Raiza's cape, which she was using as a blanket.

"Hey Raiza...um, thanks for what you did." She muttered to him. There was no response for 5 seconds until Raiza spoke up.

"Don't look too much into this..."

* * *

It was morning, but still felt like the night down in the cove of the valley. Raiza was the first to wake up. He walked up to the small river and splashed some water on his face.

"Hopefully we can find them." He said to himself. He then turned out and walked towards the campsite. There was Aly, who was just getting up and rubbing her eyes.

"How's the leg?" Raiza asked as he neared her.

"Surprisingly...it's all better now."

"Good. Now, hurry up and let's get a move on." Raiza walked away from her towards the path that would lead them up the mountain. Aly quickly fixed her hair and had a small meal that was packed in her bag. She also folded Raiza's cape and robes before standing up and walking in his direction. She finally caught up to Raiza and stopped in front of him.

"Here...thanks again for letting me use these." Aly smiled as she extended her arms to return his robes. Raiza simply just took them from her, put them on quickly and started walking up the hill. Aly followed a few steps behind him before halting. She observed the path ahead of her, seeing that it wasn't the smooth road that Justin and her took while initially hiking up the mountain. It was probably because this one wasn't altered by people as a regular hike route. It was a very steep incline that had many rocks sticking out the path.

"_This isn't good...its way too much for me..." _Aly thought timidly. She continued to hesitate in climbing up the path. Raiza quickly looked behind him to see that Aly was still on the ground.

"What's the hold up?" He asked sternly.

"Well...it's just that...I'm not really that strong. Could we...maybe climb at a much slower pace?"

"...Fine. Now get a move on." Aly gulped as she observed the route once again. With a deep breath, she preceded to climbing up the mountain.

"_Ok...I'm climbing...just keep at a steady pace. If I need a break, I'll take one...yes, everything will be fine. I'm coming Justin..."_

The 2 of them slowly made their way up the path, with Raiza checking behind him every 10-15 seconds to make sure Aly was still there. Aly was able to keep up with Raiza's slower pace on the steep incline, much to her surprise.

"Looks like I caught a lucky break..." Aly muttered quietly to herself.

"We're almost halfway there. How are you doing?" Raiza called out.

"Umm…I'm good…."

"If you need rest, let me know."

"_There he goes again…acting all nice and concerned to me. Is he really a bad guy?" _Aly thought as she lifted herself over a rocky ledge. The 2 of them continued their climb up the steep path with Aly needing to take 2 short breaks along the way. They had hiked for about 30 minutes and could almost see the proper path of the mountain for travelers at the top.

"We're almost there." Raiza stated. Aly smiled as she knew nothing happened to her during this climb. A few meters ahead, Raiza climbed up the last step and made it back onto the smooth trainer path. Aly continued to hike near the finish before she felt something. Her strength and energy began to drop fast.

"_No…I'm almost there…" _Aly began to pant heavily as she stopped hiking, bending over head down with her hands on her knees.

"What's wrong?" Raiza asked as he looked at her from above.

"It's...nothing..." Aly said weakly. She tried to take another step forward, but then started to fall backwards.

"Oh no!" He cried out. He quickly extended his arm down and managed to grab onto Aly's forearm, preventing her from falling further. The force of Aly falling pulled on Raiza, but he was able to still able to maintain his stance while holding her. A few moments later he pulled her back up and onto the trainer path.

"What the hell happened there?!" He barked.

"I...I'm sorry..."Aly panted. She was getting really hot and a little sweaty. Raiza turned her around and opened her backpack to get her water bottle and a cloth. He soaked the cloth with the cool water and gave it to her to hold it against her forehead.

"If you needed help, you should have just told me."

"I...I thought I could...make it on my own."

"Is there something wrong with you? That was way too sudden. I mean, you were fine making it up Courage Mountain's trainer path with Justin, right?"

"Yeah...I'm...I'm just not use to those hard kinds of hikes..." Aly responded nervously. Raiza still had a suspicious look on his face, but dropped it.

"Whatever. We made it up that path. Now, let's trek this way in order to find Caius." Raiza said as he began to walk began down the trainer path. Aly began to follow him slowly. She took deep breathes and slowly started to feel strength and energy coming back to her.

"_I...I can't let anyone know..." _Aly's thoughts were interrupted by heavy rumblings of the mountain. The ground vibrated for about 5 seconds before stopping back to normal.

"What was that?" She asked worriedly.

"If I have to guess...our old friend is back at it."

* * *

Caius woke up due to the morning sun shining in his face. He used one of his hands to rub his eyes until he was able to see clearly. His other arm was in the sling made from Justin's coat. The first sight Caius saw was Justin sleeping on the ground, with all the Pokemon (Eevee, Combusken, Mudkip and Gible) sleeping beside him. They were covered up by a medium sized blanket, probably from Justin's bag. Caius observed the rock wall blocking their path, the one that Justin supposedly tried to tear down last night. He walked over to Justin and poked him in the face with his finger.

"Hey...c'mon, wake up." Caius said. All of a sudden, Justin grabbed his arm and pulled it towards him. This caused Caius to fall on top of Justin while having his arm embraced.

"No...You can't have it Aly...it's my chicken wing..." Justin muttered in his sleep.

"What?! Hey, let go you idiot! " Caius retorted. He sighed and tried to pull his arm away. "Yo, c'mon wake up." Caius finally pulled his arm out, causing him to land on his bottom. Justin finally woke up and rubbed his eyes to see Caius in front of him.

"Murghh...huh? Oh, good morning Caius...what's up" He said groggily.

"Man, you are one weird dude...you talk in your sleep, you know that."

"Well, it was a pretty good dream. There was tons of food, beautiful babes, Aly was getting in my way though…but it also-"

"Ughh...forget I asked."

"Well, excuse me." Justin giggled a bit. All the Pokemon surrounding him began to wake up.

"Good morning everybody." Justin announced to the Pokemon. All of his Pokemon, including Gible, cried out happily in response. They all jumped onto him, causing everyone to fall onto the ground.

"Whoa, you guys have tons of energy today eh?" Justin exclaimed as they all shared a laugh. Gible proceeded to biting Justin's head.

"OWWW! GIBLE!" Justin cried out in pain. Gible began to laugh even more, along with the other Pokemon. Justin pulled Gible off his head and held it at eye level.

"You're a silly one, aren't you?"

"Gib-Gible!" Gible nodded. Caius watched the group as they all looked like they were having fun.

"_This kid...he must have a good life..." _Caius thought to himself. He then walked over the group.

"So, what happened to breaking down this rock barrier here?" Caius said as well as pointing to the obstacle.

"Yeah...about that. You see, about 15 minutes after we started, we kind of got tired. Haven't eaten good food in a while. So, we just decided to crash, and that was that." Justin explained while smiling awkwardly.

"...wow, you are weird. I told you can't do it."

"Well, at least I tried! Oh, how's the arm?"

"It's still no good. Looks like at least a week's recovery for me. Were you not cold last night without this jacket?"

"Well, I had this blanket to cover us all. But, the Pokemon and I decided that in order to keep warm, we should all be close to each other. Body heat is pretty warm, let me tell you." Justin smiled as he placed Gible on the ground and stood up to face Caius.

"...right. Anyways, what are we going to do about this wall here? We have to get past it in order to meet you with Raiza and your friend."

"Yeah, I know. I'm worried about Aly." Justin stated.

"Don't worry. My bud Raiza, he has a bit of a soft side. So, I wouldn't be surprised if he helped her. Who knows, maybe he'll end up stealing her from you." Caius snickered.

"Stealing? What do you me-? "Justin was interrupted by some heavy rumblings on the mountain. The earth shook by a large magnitude, causing Justin, Caius and all the Pokemon to fall down.

"What the heck is going on?" Justin shouted.

"Not sure dude." Caius replied back. All of a sudden, the rock wall imploded and a dust cloud blanketed the entire area. The blast created a wind that almost blew Justin and Caius off their feet, but both managed to hold their ground.

"Eevee! Combusken! Mudkip! Gible! Are you all okay?" Justin cried out, fearing the safety of the Pokemon. Each of them cried out in their respective Pokemon tongue, indicating they were fine.

"How about you Caius?!"

"I'm fine." Caius said sternly as he held his injured arm. As the dust cloud settled, Caius pointed forward ahead. Once Justin turned in that direction, he saw a familiar iron snake Pokemon in front of them.

"Steelix?"

"RUURRRGHHHHH!" Steelix cried out angrily.

"Looks like it's still mad." Caius deducted

"Yeah, all thanks to you." Justin shot back.

"Bro! Again, if you didn't interrupt our mission, we wouldn't have gone through that night of hell!"

Steelix roared out loud and again and prepared an Iron Tail attack. Once its tail was lit up and raised in the air, it started to descend right above the group. Justin and his Pokemon jumped to one way while Caius dodged the other.

"Well, I guess fighting with each other won't help us now." Justin grinned.

"Nope, but as you can see, I'm in no shape to battle. You're on your own bud." Caius exclaimed.

"WHAT?! But I was hoping we could do some awesome teamwork battling..." Justin whined as he sulked down. All of his Pokemon let out a sigh of disappointment.

"Get a hold of yourself. Gosh you are such a drama queen. Wanna prove your strength! Here's your chance. Take out that Steelix."

Justin thought about Caius' words for a moment. This is the perfect opportunity for him to face a powerful opponent and get ready for his next gym battle. Plus, if he wanted to see Aly again, he would need to defeat it.

"My road to becoming a Pokemon Master and Aly's safety rides on this battle. I CAN'T LOSE THIS!" Justin shouted all fired up. He then looked down at his Pokemon.

"All right guys! Let's do some special training! If we win this, ice cream for everyone!"

Eevee, Combusken and Mudkip all cried out confidently, ready for battle. But, was it because of Justin's pep rally on getting stronger...or was it for the ice cream?

"Hey Gible! Wanna join us?"

"Gib!" Gible roared as it made a battle stance. Justin nodded as he and his Pokemon faced the Steelix, ready for battle.

"Let's do this! C'mon Steelix, hit us with your best shot!"

Steelix got even angrier than it already was. It raised its tail above the ground and got ready to slam it down on Justin's Pokemon.

"Everyone! Dodge it!" Justin commanded. Eevee and Gible dodged to the left, while Combusken and Mudkip went to the left.

"Mudkip! Use your water gun! Combusken, use your flamethrower!"

Mudkip shot out a stream of water from its mouth, while Combusken released a stream of fire. Both attacks hit Steelix hard, causing the Iron Snake Pokemon to get shifted back from the attacks. It cringed in pain, due to the fact that both moves were super effective.

"Nice job guys!" Justin called out while giving thumbs up. Steelix recovered quickly though. It formed small sharp rocks that floated around its body, and then fired them directly at Mudkip and Combusken. Both Pokemon were hit by the attack, causing them to get sent backwards and slam against the mountain wall.

"Combusken! Mudkip!" Justin cried out worriedly.

"That was stone edge. Your Mudkip shouldn't have been affected that much, but your Combusken might have taken a lot of damage." Caius said dismissively. He seemed to be looking down at his injured arm a lot during the battle.

Justin looked on to see how his Pokemon were doing. Caius was right; Mudkip seemed to have shaken off the attack easily. But, Combusken was struggling to get back up.

"Remember, before you and your friend got here, Raiza and I used our boost devices to raise Steelix's strength and power." Justin turned around to face Steelix again.

"Combusken and Mudkip, just stay there for a bit. All right! Gible, use-...umm..." Justin placed his hand on his chin, looked up in the sky and began thinking. He then glanced down at Gible.

"Hey Gible, what moves do you know again? Sorry, I don't remember..."

Caius and Eevee dropped to the floor in disbelief.

"Wow, I can't believe this is happening." Caius stated as he got back up. "Check your Pokedex for god's sake."

"Oh yeah...thanks man!" Justin smiled. He pulled out his Pokedex and pointed it at Gible. The screen lit up with texts of information popping up.

"Let's see..."

"Kid, watch out!" Caius called out. Justin looked up to see Steelix about to slam and Iron Tail right on him. He froze instantly before seeing a shadow ball attack intercept the Iron Tail, causing a mini smoke explosion and the attack to stop. Justin regained his focus and looked down to see Eevee in front of him.

"Thanks for that pal." Justin said. Eevee looked back and cried out happily at its trainer.

"Now, let's see...Ah, got it! All right, Gible and Eevee, both of you dig underground!" Justin commanded. Both Eevee and Gible jumped up in the air before descending and digging underground. This threw Steelix off, as it began to look at the ground frantically, looking for the 2 Pokemon.

"Now! Arise to the battlefield!" Justin commanded. On Steelix's right, Eevee popped up from the ground, while Gible emerged from Steelix's left.

"Now, Eevee use Shadow Ball. Gible, use Dragon Rage!" Eevee formed a dark ball of shadow energy and hurled it at Steelix. Gible lifted its head up before releasing a red-orange fireball from its mouth. Both attacks collided, creating another smoke explosion and dealing good damage to Steelix. Eevee and Gible landed on the ground and ran back towards Justin.

"Good work guys!" Justin said.

"Not bad kid." A voice said from behind him. Justin recognized that it was not Caius', but someone else's he knew. He quickly turned around to see Caius standing with 2 other people beside him. It was a taller man wearing the same clothes as Caius. He was also carrying a girl on his back, a girl with blonde hair in a ponytail and a blue hoodie sweater.

"Hey Justin!" The girl called out to him as she got down from the man's back.

"Aly! It's you!" Justin exclaimed happily.

"I'm so glad...you're okay!" Aly began to tear up.

"Just wait there Aly. After I defeat this Steelix, we're going to Zircon City and eating some ice cream!" Justin then turned back around to face Steelix, who seemed to be still in battling form despite those combo attacks.

"The kid has been pretty good." Caius told Raiza.

"With what he's done to us so far, I'm not surprised."Raiza replied.

"Unfortunately though, he's almost done. Steelix is still in good health while the kid and his Pokemon are losing strength."

"I have to say, this field test turned out to be pretty useful." Raiza smiled cunningly.

"Combusken, Mudkip, come over here!" Justin called out to his 2 other Pokemon. Both of them ran towards him and formed a line with Eevee and Gible in front of their trainer. Steelix began to form a green light near its mouth, signalling that it was preparing a hyper beam attack.

"All right! Let's do this! Eevee, shadow ball! Combusken, flamethrower! Mudkip, water gun! Gible, Dragon Rage! Everyone, max power!" Justin commanded.

All of the Pokemon in front of them released their attacks towards Steelix. The Iron snake Pokemon finally finished charging and shot its hyper beam attack towards the group. Both collided, causing a major smoke explosion to occur. The impact of all the attacks caused the mountain to rumble more than it did before. Justin, Aly, Caius and Raiza all fell down thanks to the ground shaking. Eevee and all of the other Pokemon were sent back flying before landing in front of Justin.

"Are you all ok?!" Justin cried out as he attended to all the Pokemon. Combusken and Mudkip were both knocked out, unable to battle. Gible was on the verge of losing consciousness while Eevee struggled to get up. Once the smoke cleared, Justin looked ahead and found Steelix still standing.

"RUURGHHH!" Steelix roared out loud.

"Incredible." Caius stated.

"Now that is one powerful Pokemon now." Raiza added. Steelix then started to move towards in Justin's direction. He quickly held all his Pokémon in tight and closed his eyes, awaiting what the Steelix was about to do to him.

"JUSTIN!" Aly cried out.

"Time to end this." Raiza said calmly as he raised his arm and pressed a button on his watch. All of a sudden, Steelix stopped in its tracks. It then had a blue aura surrounding it, which slowly floated directly towards Raiza and Caius' watches. A few moments later, the aura disappeared and Steelix's expression changed from angry to confusion.

"Rurghh?" Steelix cried out, looking in both directions. It then slithered its way back up the mountain, not even seeing the group on the mountain. Justin opened his eyes to see that Steelix was gone.

"Wait, what just happened?" He asked.

"Well, that was anticlimactic." Aly remarked. "But' I'm glad it's over..."

Justin took out 2 Pokeballs and pointed them towards Combusken and Mudkip.

"Combusken, Mudkip, you guys were awesome. Thanks for everything." Justin said as he returned both Pokemon to their Pokeballs. He lifted both Eevee and Gible and carried them in his arms. He then got up from the ground and made his way to Aly.

"Aly, will you carry Eevee for me?" Justin asked.

"Of course." Aly responded as she took Eevee and carried it in her arms. She then looked at Caius and Raiza.

"What did you guys do?"

"Well, we just absorbed the all of the added energy out of Steelix. Once we saw how powerful it was, we determined that it was enough for our field test." Raiza stated.

"So, you made me risk my life fighting that Pokemon?!" Justin called out with a little bit of frustration.

"Bro, relax. You're the one who wanted to test your strength against that Steelix for your training." Caius remarked.

"You should be thanking us. According to our readings, Steelix was still almost at full strength while you're Pokemon were done for." Raiza remarked.

"...Fine..." Justin muttered. Aly put one of her hands on his shoulder to calm him. He simply looked at her and smiled before turning back to the 2 Team Immortal subordinates.

"Raiza...I like to thank you for taking care of Aly." Justin said. Aly gasped as she looked on at Justin.

"Well, I did what I had to. It looks like you've helped Caius with his injuries as well. So, seems like we're even for now. We'll be taking our leave." Raiza remarked. Caius undid the sling on his arm and gave Justin's jacket back.

"I'm sure we'll cross paths again. But, don't think we'll be on your side next time. Remember, Team Immortal's mission is our primary goal." Raiza remarked. Justin and Aly both nodded.

"Better start training harder. Once my injury is healed, the next time we meet I'm taking you on." Caius stated.

"Aly." Raiza called out. It startled Aly a bit as she jolted up.

"Um, yes?"

"...Be careful with yourself." With that, both the Team Immortal grunts began to walk down the path of Courage Mountain. Justin and Aly both watched them until they were no longer in sight.

"Aly...I'm really glad you're safe. I was so worried about you." Justin said as he turned towards her.

"I was worried too...but..." Aly turned the other way.

"What is it?"Justin leaned a bit closer to her. A few moments later, she turned around and used one of her hands to smack him across the head.

'NEXT TIME DON"T DO CRAZY THINGS WITHOUT THINKING FIRST!" Aly shouted at him. Justin kneeled down and massaged his head with one of his hands.

"OW, OW! All right, all right! Gosh..." Justin retorted. As he got up to start an argument, he saw Aly begin to cry again.

"Please...just think next time..."

Justin looked on, seeing how worried Aly must have been. He then smiled at her.

"Ok, I promise." Aly wiped away her tears and smiled back. Just then, both Gible and Eevee awoke in the arms of the 2 trainers.

"Eevee! Gible! You're both all right!" Justin exclaimed. Both Pokemon cried out energetically. Gible even proceeded to biting down on Justin's head again.

"GIBLE, STOP! IT HUR-"Justin shouted before realizing something. There was no pain this time. He pulled Gible off his head and placed him on the floor.

"Gible, what you did out there was amazing. Thanks for all your help."

"Gib-Gible!" Gible cried out happily.

"I wanted to ask you this before that whole mess happened. But...do you want to come along with me on our journey?" Gible looked up at him with a curious expression.

"We'll train hard together and go to the top. What do you say?" Justin said as he extended his arm out. Gible looked up at Aly and Eevee who both nodded their heads. Once Gible looked back at Justin, it smiled and nodded its head.

"All right." Justin pulled out an empty Pokeball and tapped Gible on the head. The Dragon Pokemon was engulfed within the light and transferred into the Pokeball. After a few wiggles, a "ding" sound was made, signalling Gible's capture.

"All right! I got a Gible!" Justin exclaimed happily.

"That was a lame celebration." Aly remarked.

"Hey, I'm tired. I didn't see you battling a Pokemon on steroids!" Justin playfully shot back.

"I know...and I should have been there to help you..."

"Aly, don't worry about it. We still need to train together a bit more. So lighten up ok? We're all together again, and that's what matters." Justin said. Aly looked back up again and nodded.

"You're right. Oh, here is your partner." Aly handed Eevee back to Justin, who carried it back in his own arms.

"You were great too Eevee!"

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out happily.

"All right, shall we get going? Zircon City shouldn't be that much farther. Plus, I'm starving" Justin suggested.

"Sounds good." Aly responded as the 2 trainers continued down the path and on their way to Justin's next gym battle.

_**Feel free to review**_


	19. Chapter 19 - Familiar Faces

_**A/N: Turns out that I had some free time before exams and was able to write this chapter. It's definitely less intense and shorter than the last few chapters, which made it easier to write in one sitting. Though, after this I expect the next chapter to come sometime before Christmas. Exams period is starting soon, which all my time will be dedicated to that. Nonetheless, Chapter 19:**_

**Chapter 19 – Familiar Faces**

"Your Pokémon have all been healed." Nurse Joy said as she handed out a tray of Pokeballs.

Justin took the Pokeballs from the tray and thanked Nurse Joy. He and Aly had just arrived in Zircon City that evening and went straight to the Pokémon Centre to heal Justin's Pokémon after the intense battle with Steelix back at Courage Mountain.

"Well, shall we get dinner?" Justin asked.

"Yes sir!" Aly nodded.

"Man, it's been forever since I've had a good meal!" Justin exclaimed as he took a bite out of his pasta dinner. They were both sitting at a table in the Pokémon Centre's diner.

"I know what you mean. I was thinking of taking up cooking. That way we can have good meals all the time!" Aly remarked.

"That's a great idea! I'm sure whatever you make will be great! You have that experience with the Poffins too!"

"You think so?! Thanks! Oh, you're not thinking of challenging the gym tomorrow?"

"Of course I'm thinking of it. That's why we're here, isn't it?" Justin answered.

"Well, the fact that you're even thinking about it is a bad idea." Aly raised her voice. Justin looked up at her surprised.

"Really?" He asked.

"Think about it. You're Pokémon just fought a hard battle against Steelix. I think they deserve a day break."

"Yeah, but the gym is…"

"It's important to monitor your Pokemon's health and well-being. They must be fatigued from what went on at Courage Mountain. C'mon Justin, you can't always rush into things

"…I guess you're right. Guess I still have a lot to learn. Thanks for the advice Aly."

"Oh, you're welcome. I bought a book about Pokémon Body and Health and there's a lot of good things that I'm learning about. By the way, I noticed Eevee isn't out with us. Did you leave her in the Pokeball?"

"So that's what you've been reading every night. Yeah, when we got into the Pokémon Centre, I returned Eevee, along with Gible, to her Pokeball for the first time since she joined me. I don't plan to keep her in there for long, but she might be still resting. I don't want to wake her up from us conversing." Justin explained while finishing his dinner.

"I see. Wow, who knew you were capable of saying something smart." Aly playfully teased him.

"Ha-ha….very funny…." Justin remarked as they both shared a hearty laugh.

"HEY! I KNOW YOU GUYS!" A voice shouted from a distance. Justin and Aly looked around to see where the voice was coming from. From Justin's right, a girl with long brown hair, wearing a dark blue jacket and beige shorts, approached the 2 trainers. She had an Eevee on her right shoulder.

"Wait, I know you!" Aly exclaimed.

"You're Lyra! Lyra from Route 401!" Justin added (Chapter 5 – New Rivals).

"It's been awhile hasn't it? Justin! Aly!" Lyra smiled.

"Ee-vuie!" Lyra's Eevee cried out. Lyra then sat on the bench next to Justin. "Mind if I join you guys for a bit?"

"Well, you're already sitting. So I guess…." Aly said.

"What brings you here Lyra? Challenging the gym?" Justin asked.

"Well, yeah. But, I've already beaten the gym for this city. I'm just staying the night here before heading up north to Citrine City." Lyra explained.

"Wait, you've already beaten the gym here?" Aly asked.

"Yep. It's what I just said. Take a look!" Lyra reached for her pocket and pulled out her badge case. Enclosed were 3 badges pinned to the fabric. One was the Amethyst badge, then the Ruby badge, and finally a brown octagonal shaped badge beside it.

"NO WAYY! YOU HAVE 3 BADGES! THAT'S SOO COOOOL!" Justin exclaimed as he gleamed of envy.

"I know right?" Lyra responded cheerfully. "So, I guess that means you still have to challenge the gym, right Justin?"

"Yeah. Aly and I had quite the adventure on Courage Mountain the past 2 days before getting here. I'm letting my Pokémon have a day off tomorrow. I'll be challenging the gym in 2 days."

"I see. Well, good luck to you. You'll find that this gym battle is going to be different from the first 2."

"Why's that?" Aly asked.

"Well, the main difference is that it'll be a double battle." Lyra explained.

"Double battle eh?" Justin remarked.

"You know what that is….right?" Aly remarked.

"Of course I do….I'm not that dumb." Justin shot back with an angry look. Aly turned around and giggled with her hand covering her mouth. Lyra smiled on.

"I see you two are as close as can be." She remarked. Both of them turned towards her.

"Yeah, we've been through a lot, helping each other out when we need it. Aly's been a great person to travel with. We're a pretty darn good team!" Justin exclaimed as he gave his standard thumbs-up pose. Aly looked at Justin and blushed a bit. Justin noticed Aly was looking at him and turned in her direction.

"Huh? What is it?"

"Oh, um…nothing. Nothing at all…." Aly turned the opposite way, looking all flustered. Lyra just continued to giggle in the background.

"Anyways…as I was saying, the gym battle is a double battle, 2 on 2. The Gym Leader uses Rock Type Pokémon. I won't tell you his team strategy because that wouldn't be air, but he's pretty good." Lyra explained.

"Hm. Looks like I'll have to think of which Pokémon to use and my own team strategy." Justin thought aloud.

"Oh yeah. Have you gotten anymore Pokémon Justin?"

"Yep! I still have Eevee, and my Torchic evolved into a Combusken. I caught a Mudkip at Amethyst Lake, and recently got a Gible on Courage Mountain. How about you?"

"Well, you got Eevee over here on my shoulder." Lyra said as she petted Eevee on the head. "There's also the Growlithe I caught back when I first met you two. I caught 2 more other Pokémon as well, but I rather show you them in another way." Lyra explained.

"How so?" Justin wondered.

"In a battle of course! I mean, after your gym battle that is."

"Sure, I'm always down for a battle!" Justin exclaimed. Lyra then turned her attention to Aly.

"So Aly, have you decided on your goal yet?" Lyra asked.

"Well…no, I haven't yet. It's bad I know, feels like I'm not really a trainer. But, just like Harry from Amethyst City and Justin tell me. I have to try to stay positive, and someday I'll find my passion." Aly announced.

"That's the spirit Aly. You go girl!"

"Um…thanks Lyra."

"That was impressive Aly." Justin remarked. Aly turned towards him surprised.

"Usually you'd put yourself down all the time. That's the first confident statement I've heard you say since we started travelling. It's a step forward for you Aly, I'm proud. Did it finally hit you?"

"…I guess. Thanks Justin." Aly smiled. She also remembered what Raiza said to her at Courage Mountain about being more confident in herself. Lyra then got up from her seat and stood at the end of the table.

"Well, it's getting late and the diner's closing. Wanna hang for a bit in the trainer's lounge?" She asked.

"Sure!" Both Justin and Aly replied.

Justin, Aly and Lyra made their way to the trainers lounge from the diner. Justin was near the phone monitor station while Lyra and Aly sat on the couches. Aly had called out her Squirtle and Vulpix out of their Pokeballs to sit beside her.

"Wow, you have a Vulpix too? It looks so beautiful!" Lyra remarked in awe.

"Why thanks! I met it at Route 402. It's helped me in a bunch of situations." Aly explained.

"I see that Squirtle and Vulpix look in top shape. Judging from their shine on Squirtle's shell and Vulpix's fur, you really take care of your Pokémon Aly."

"Oh, well…you know. They don't get much battling experience. So, I try to make sure they're still healthy in other ways."

Justin smiled as he saw Aly and Lyra bonding. He just finished dialling a number on the number pad beside the monitor screen. After a few rings, a familiar woman came up on screen.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hi Mom! It's Justin!" Justin exclaimed.

"Justin! Hi dear! How are you! Where are you calling from?"

"I'm fine Mom. It's been a wild past few days, but I'm still in one piece. And I'm in Zircon City right now. Going to challenge the gym here soon."

"That's my boy. Glad to see your face again. I was getting worried."

"C'mon Mom. I told you I'd be fine! Just have more faith in me!" Justin said while raising his fist in the air.

"Well, it seems you've become jollier since you left home. I still remember you feeling nervous about going to Minero without a Pokémon." Justin's mom remarked.

"Yeah…I know…but, I've made some good friends in Aly, caught some cool Pokémon, and much more! It's become 10x's better than when I left!"

"Yes, I can tell. Oh by the way, guess who decided to drop by home this week?"

"Who Mom?" Justin asked. His mom then looked to her left and stepped to the side. From the left of the monitor screen came a man with longish brown hair and glasses. Justin's face went happy to disbelief. It was the man who broke his promise to Justin weeks before his Pokémon journey started. The man who went on an extremely long leave of absence during the most important time of Justin's life, with no explanation.

"Hello there son." The man spoke. Justin slightly turned his head away from the monitor screen.

"Hello Dad…" He muttered.

"…I wanted to say I'm sorry for not being there when you started your journey. Work got really, really busy and I had to be away. Again, I'm sorry…"

"…Whatever…I'm here now, so that's that."

"Yeah, I can see. When your mother told me that you'd gone to Minero without a Pokémon, I was shocked to hear. But, hearing about you catching Pokémon all by yourself and challenging the Minero League was quite pleasant. I wouldn't expect anything less from my son." Justin's Dad said as he tried to make conversation.

"…Yeah…thanks…" Justin replied distantly. There was an awkward silence for a while after that.

"I wanted to ask another question too. Have you been anywhere near the recent Team Immortal incidents in Minero?" Justin's Dad asked.

"Well, I've been right near them. Doing my best to stop that organization." Justin answered. "Wait, how do you know about Team Immortal?"

"It's on the news everywhere. Justin, please stay away from them. They seem like a serious group, and I don't want my son to get involved and potentially hurt."

"Oh, so now you care about me?" Justin raised his voice. Lyra and Aly heard him from across the room.

"Justin…I…"

"Dad, I'm not constantly hunting them down or whatever. The police are doing that job. I have my own goal of collecting all 8 gym badges and winning the Minero League. But, if I'm somewhere where Team Immortal is causing trouble to other people, I'm not just going to stand idly by and watch their plans unfold. I'll do whatever it takes to stop them." Justin explained as he slammed his fist down on the ledge holding the monitor station. Aly and Lyra noticed Justin acting worked up again and began to walk towards him.

"…I see. But still, try your best to avoid-...oh, are these friends of yours?" Justin's Dad asked. Justin turned around to see Aly and Lyra right behind him.

"Justin, are you ok?" Aly asked him.

"Yeah…I'm fine. Aly, Lyra, this is my Dad, Atticus Riser. Dad, these are my new friends, Aly and Lyra." Justin said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Riser." Aly said.

"Yes sir. Good to meet you." Lyra added.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you 2 ladies as well. Anyways Justin, I have to go now. I'm leaving for the Sinnoh region tomorrow morning for an important meeting and have to get to bed early. I'll be back home in 2 weeks for sure, so give your mother a call than and we can both talk to you, ok?" Justin's Dad said.

"….fine…" Justin responded.

"That's good. Take care son." With that, Justin's Dad left the monitor screen while his mother re-appeared.

"Did you enjoy talking to your Dad?" Justin's Mom asked.

"…I had a splendid time…" Justin responded sarcastically.

"Oh Justin…try to be nicer to him next time. He's working very hard to support us. He actually just transferred some funds to you for your journey."

"…All right. Tell him I said thanks…"

"Well, good luck with your Journey Justin. Oh, and goodbye Aly and Lyra. Take care of Justin." Justin's Mom said as she waved goodbye.

"Goodnight Mrs. Riser." Aly and Lyra said in unison.

"Goodnight Mom. Talk to you soon." Justin said as he cut the call and turned off the monitor screen.

"Hey Justin, are you sure you're all right?" Lyra asked.

"Yeah…I'm fine. Don't worry about me, it was just unexpected to see him on-screen." Justin said as he turned around to face them, letting out a soft laugh. Aly still had a suspicious look on her face.

"All right…well, it's time for bed I guess." Lyra pointed out.

"Are you leaving for Citrine City tomorrow Lyra?" Aly asked.

"Well, that was the original plan. But, I think I'm going to hang with you guys for a while. Justin, is it ok if I watch your gym battle?"

"Sure, no problem! That was you can see how awesome my Pokémon are!" Justin exclaimed energetically.

"Well that was a quick turnaround." Lyra mentioned.

"You'll eventually get use to his dramatics and bi-polar personality switches." Aly remarked.

"Heyyyyy, I sense an insult there." Justin groaned as he leaned towards Aly with a mug expression.

"Oh gosh, I have no idea what you're talking about." Aly said innocently with a pouty face. Justin and Aly then began to pointless argument that involved a lot of silly name-calling and yapping. Lyra and her Eevee both looked at each other and just laughed. It was going to be a restful, but productive 2 days ahead of Justin as he prepares for his 3rd gym battle.

_**Remember to review if you have any feedback/anything to say! It's been awhile since I've said this, but I appreciate all the reviews (good or bad), favourites, follows and views I get. It helps keep me going!**_


	20. Chapter 20 - Rockafellas

_**A/N: Hello all. With my school semester finished, I was able to finally work on my story again. This chapter gave me difficulties since it is a double gym battle chapter. I tried to make it entertaining with the right length. If you don't feel the same (too long or short, couldn't understand, etc.), feel free to let me know. We are currently at the 1/3rd way mark of the story. I'll be spending the next few days planning more details for the upcoming chapters.**_

**Chapter 20 – Rockafellas**

It was early morning in Zircon City. The weather was warm with not a cloud in the sky. The sun shined brightly down on the dark brown coloured buildings that resided in the city. It wasn't a large scale place like Ruby City with tons of big name corporations and department stores everywhere. In fact, most of the company buildings, which weren't that big, were occupied by small businesses. The whole city mostly contained small residential houses and cornerstone markets. Out of the 3 cities visited so far, Zircon was the smallest. Justin, Aly and Lyra had just exited the Pokémon Center and headed down the street towards the Zircon Gym. Justin's Eevee was back out of its Pokeball and sitting in its usual spot on Justin's shoulder. Lyra carried her Eevee in her arms this time.

"Man, every city we come across always has a different colour scheme." Justin mentioned.

"That's the thing about the Minero region. Each city is named after gemstones, and their colour is well represented on the city's infrastructure." Lyra explained.

"So, Amethyst City had a purple colour scheme seeing how the stone Amethyst is purple. Ruby City had a red outline, seeing how Rubies are red. Zircon city has a dark brown colour…so I guess the stone Zircon must be brown." Aly exclaimed.

"By the way Justin, did you come up with a team strategy for your battle today?" Lyra asked.

"Umm…nope." Justin said calmly. Aly and Lyra looked at in bewildered.

"So, you didn't prepare anything at all the 2 days you had off?"

"I guess not. It's not exactly how I roll. I tend to learn through battling and experience. I'll see how I do and then come up with something during the battle if I need too." Justin smiled.

"Whatever you say…"

The 3 trainers continued to walk towards the gym, passing several residential houses along the way. There were people outside of their houses performing regular morning duties such as watering the plants, cutting the grass, etc. The demographic appeared to be an older group since most people outside looked in their later years. A couple of minutes after, the 3 trainers had arrived in front of the Zircon City Gym. The entire facility was made of stone, with carefully carved boulders stacked on top of each other to make up the building. The doors was the only thing not made of rock, as they were automated slide doors.

"This is the gym?" Justin asked in disbelief.

"It may look weird on the outside, but inside it's a pretty normal gym." Lyra mentioned.

"Well, this leader sure loves their rocks…I guess…"Aly said.

"Well, let's get a move on!" Justin exclaimed.

The 3 trainers walked into the gym and entered the lobby area. There was a man in cave-digging gear that walked through the back door and approached Justin.

"Good Morning, and welcome to the Zircon City Gym. Are you here to challenge our leader?" The man asked.

"I am sir! Am I too early? Is there a wait?" Justin said.

"As a matter of fact, you're the first one to arrive today. Please, right this way." The man signalled the trainers to follow him as he and the group began to walk through the back door into the battle arena. It was different from the previous 2 gyms Justin had faced before. The battlefield was littered with jagged rocks and boulders all over the place. They ranged from a few inches to almost 3 feet high off the ground.

"Visitors can sit in the stands to the left." The man said as he pointed to his left.

"Good luck Justin!" Aly said as she raised her hand for a high five.

"I'll do my best!' Justin exclaimed as he returned the high five.

"Well, let's see how strong you are!" Lyra remarked.

"You got it!" With that, both girls walked to the left and up into the stands to sit.

"Now…I uh, have a favour to ask you." The man whispered to Justin.

"Oh, uh sure. What's up?" Justin said surprised.

"Well, you see…our gym leader is currently in the middle of a digging expedition in the other room. No matter what I say to him, he won't come for this battle. You think you can try to convince him?"

"Um, I guess…"

"Thank you. He's just in the other room down that way." The man pointed to the end of the battlefield at a door. Justin made his way through the battlefield and arrived in front of the door. He slowly put his hand on the handle and pulled. In the other room it was pitch dark where Justin couldn't see anything.

"Hello?! Mr. Leader?!" Justin yelled out.

"I'm over here!" A voice yelled back at him. Justin jumped from shock. The voice was surprisingly close, but he couldn't find where it was coming from.

"Um…where are you?" Justin looked to his left and right, but couldn't find anyone.

"I'm down here sonny!" The voice said as the lights in the room came on. The walls were made of stone that had electric bulbs hanging across them. Justin looked down and saw a short old man wearing a brown button up shirt, beige shorts, and a helmet with a flashlight attached to the top.

"Oh, uh what's up old timer?! My name is Justin Riser! I was wondering if-"

"Boy, can't you see I'm a little busy here!" The old man interrupted him. "I'm currently excavating this extremely rare stone below this gym. Think you could come back some other time?" Just as Justin was about to whine, the man from before came up behind him.

"Rocky, you're a gym leader too. You have a responsibility to accept trainer's challenges." He stated.

"It's ok. I see how it is. You're just afraid that an old timer like yourself can't beat a simple kid." Justin playfully taunted.

"WHAT?! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I'M ONLY 62 YEARS OLD! I'M NOT THAT OLD-"Rocky froze up in mid-sentence. He then reached for his lower back with his hand and bent over. "Ahhh…my back….Seamus, help me…"

The man named Seamus sighed as he walked over to massage Rocky's back.

"Are you sure this guy is ok enough to be a gym leader here?" Justin asked.

"Well, Rocky is actually very calm in battle. But, when it comes to digging and kids, it's just something about them that gets him to injure himself." Seamus said as he finished his treatment on Rocky.

"Well young man, I may have to fix that attitude of yours. Calling me an old timer…I'll show you how this old timer can battle!" Rocky announced.

"Yeah, that's what I like to hear. You're on old timer!" Justin exclaimed.

* * *

"The battle between the Zircon City Gym Leader, Rocky, and the challenger, Justin Riser, will now begin. This will be a 2 on 2 double battle where both participants will use 2 Pokémon to battle. The battle will be over when both trainer's Pokémon are unable to battle!" Seamus announced from the battle judge stand. Justin and Rocky were standing at opposite ends of the battle field. Aly and Lyra were in the stands holding Eevee and Gible respectively in their laps.

"So, why did Justin give us Eevee and Gible to hold onto to?" Lyra asked as she petted Gible on the head.

"Well, Justin always has his Pokémon cheer each other on during his gym battles, whether they're participating or not." Aly explained.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cheered from the stands. Justin looked up at Eevee and waved.

"I'll do my best Eevee!" Justin shouted back. He then looked at Gible. "Gible, I want you to watch this gym battle so that you'll know what it's like when you'll battle!"

"Gib-Gib!" Gible cried back. He then looked up at Lyra, who smiled back at it. Gible made a cunning smile before jumping up from Lyra's lap and biting onto her head.

"OWWWWWW! IT HURTS!" Lyra cried out in pain as she tried to pull Gible off. Aly stood up and tugged on Gible.

"C'mon Gible! Not now!" Justin shouted in frustration. Aly finally got Gible off Lyra's head and placed it down on her lap. Gible just giggled while Aly and Justin sighed in disbelief. Justin's Eevee walked over and went to go on Lyra's lap. Lyra's Eevee jumped off her shoulder and joined Justin's Eevee on its trainer's lap too.

"Anyways. I'm ready for you Rocky! Let's make this a great battle!" Justin said energetically.

"I can already see the passion you have for Pokémon and battling. I'm looking forward to this…" Rocky smirked. He was standing shoulder-width apart with his arms crossed. He definitely didn't look like a brittle old man anymore.

"Now, choose your Pokémon!" Seamus called out.

"Tyrunt and Amaura! Time for battle!" Rocky called out as he threw 2 Pokeballs into the air. Out of one came a Pokémon that resembled a Tyrannosaurus Rex. It had a grayish brown body with 2 nail claws and orange triangular horns coming from the top of its head. Out of the other ball came a Pokémon that resembled a Sauropod. It had a light blue body with 2 sail structures above its eyes and dark blue crystals on each side of its body.

"Amaura!" Amaura shrieked out loudly.

"Tyyyyyyyy!" Tyrunt roared out as it made loud biting sounds.

"Wow, I've never even heard of those Pokémon before. They look like dinosaurs! This is sooooo awesome!" Justin exclaimed as he jumped up and down gleefully.

"They're so cute!" Aly remarked.

"Cute yes, but pretty powerful. Trust me." Lyra said while still looking on.

"Yes, these here are prehistoric Pokémon. We dug up their fossils and restored them to their original forms. These fossils can only be found in the Kalos region, which I went on a trip a while back." Rocky explained.

"That's so cool! But, my Pokémon are no slouches either! Mudkip and Combusken, let's go!" Justin cried out as he threw 2 Pokeballs into the air. Out came Mudkip on his left and Combusken on his right.

"All right guys. We need to work together in order to win. Are you with me?" Justin said to his Pokémon.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out happily.

"Combusken!" Combusken added. The 2 Pokémon looked at each other and nodded.

"Well, without further ado, battle begin!" Seamus called out.

"All right Mudkip. Start with a Water Gun attack!" Justin commanded.

"Mud!" Mudkip cried out as it prepared its attack,

"Amaura, use mist." Rocky calmly ordered. Amaura then shot out a white transparent cloud that sparkled from its mouth towards Justin's Pokemon. Shortly after, the cloud became thick where it concealed both of Rocky's Pokemon. This startled Mudkip as it halted its attack.

"Uh oh. I can't see them at all." Justin said to himself.

"Tyrunt, use dragon tail." Rocky commanded. A few moments after, Tyrunt emerged from the mist cloud charging at Mudkip with its tail lit up. Once in close proximity with the water type Pokémon, it twirled and whipped its tail around right into Mudkip. This sent Mudkip backwards to slam against one of the rock formations located around the battlefield, which disintegrated instantly, and fall to the ground. Tyrunt immediately ran back into the mist cloud after the attack.

"Mudkip!" Justin called out. Mudkip got up quickly back into a battle stance.

"Glad to see you're all good pal. We got to clear this mist. Combusken, use your flamethrower!"

"Com-busken!" Combusken cried out as it released a stream of fire from its mouth at the mist. The hot flames easily cleared the mist away, but there was no sign of either Tyrunt or Amaura.

"Wait, where did they go?" Justin said surprised. He and both his Pokémon frantically looked around the battlefield.

"Tyrunt, use Crunch. Amaura, Aurora Beam." Rocky commanded. All of a sudden, 2 of the jagged rock figures on the arena exploded and created a dust cloud. Both Tyrunt and Amaura immediately appeared from the dust cloud and charged at Justin Pokémon.

Tyrunt opened its mouth really wide and crunched down on Combusken's arm, which the fire Pokemon cried out in pain. It then whipped its head to the right and released Combusken from its bite, sending it flying before hitting the ground hard.

Amaura released a colourful beam straight at Mudkip's face, sending the water Pokemon into the air before landing right on top of Combusken.

"Combusken! Mudkip!" Justin cried out worriedly.

"What's wrong Justin? Is this old timer too much for you?" Rocky calmly remarked at Justin.

"Of course not! This battle's just getting started." Justin shouted back.

"_Wow, Rocky sure is different from when we first met. He hasn't moved from that cross-armed position since the battle started. This is going to be a tough battle for sure." _He thought to himself. Mudkip got off of Combusken as both Pokemon stood on their feet again.

"Combusken, use sky uppercut on Tyrunt." Justin commanded. Combusken's claw lit up as it started to charge towards Tyrunt.

"Amaura, protect!" Rocky commanded. Amaura then ran towards the t-rex Pokemon before standing in between it and the charging Combusken. Shortly after, there was a light green protective orb surrounding Amaura. Combusken's attack hit the orb, but could not penetrate it and sent the fire type Pokemon backwards a few feet.

"Oh great. That Amaura is starting to get on my nerves!" Justin remarked.

"Tyrunt, now use Dragon Tail!"

Once the protect orb disappeared, Tyrunt charged directly towards Combusken with its tail lit up.

"Mudkip! Hit Tyrunt with a Water Gun!"

"Amaura, use Rock Tomb." Rocky commanded. Amaura's eyes glowed blue as large rock boulders emerged from the ground in front of Tyrunt and blocked the water gun attack. Unfortunately, Combusken was hit with some of the attack along the way. The fire type Pokemon cried out in pain and dropped to one knee.

"No! Sorry Combusken!" Justin yelled out.

"Tyrunt, Dragon Tail on the Rock Tomb!" Rocky commanded. Tyrunt made its tail light up and whipped it right into the rock tomb. The boulders disintegrated, but some of the sharp debris flew at Combusken and Mudkip, hitting them hard as they both fell onto their backs on the floor.

"Combusken! Mudkip!" Justin cried out worriedly.

"Kid, that was nothing. You're going to have to do better to beat me." Rocky said calmly

* * *

"Wow, who knew Rocky was really good." Aly remarked in awe from the stands.

"He's a tough leader all right. Both of his Pokémon to compliments to one another. Tyrunt is the sword, while Amaura is the shield. And while they both specialize in either offense or defense, they can support each other whenever need be. It's hard to imagine how cool and calm he is when battling. Not like the brittle old man we saw before the match." Lyra remarked.

"Also, Justin's not playing this double battle very well."

"What do you mean?" Aly asked.

"Every move he's done so far has been individual assaults, rather than having his Pokemon support each other. If Justin's going to win, he'll need to plan a strategy to combine Combusken and Mudkip's strength together as a team." Lyra explained.

* * *

Combusken and Mudkip slowly got to their feet on the battlefield, starting to pant a little. Tyrunt and Amaura looked as fresh as they were at the beginning of the match. Neither of them had taken a single hit. Despite the type advantage Justin had in this battle, he was getting his butt handed to him by a calmer, cooler Rocky.

"Man, this doesn't look too good. I haven't even landed one hit on Rocky's Pokemon." Justin said to himself.

"Justin!" Rocky shouted out which got the attention of Justin. "Tell me, have you ever been part of a double battle before?"

"Um, well I-"

"The key to any double battle is for you AND your Pokemon to support each other and work together as a team." Rocky interrupted him. "I'm guessing you didn't plan a team strategy with your Pokémon before coming here, right?"

Justin grunted irritably, admitting it was true.

"The information about this being a double gym battle was made available. Your lack of preparation and thought will be your downfall in this battle."

Justin then looked down at the floor and smiled slightly.

"You're right. I haven't been playing this double battle well. I've just been using each of my Pokémon's strengths individually when I should have been thinking of a way to combine them together. But you're wrong about one thing." Justin then looked up at Rocky.

"I may not plan out my moves and strategies all the time. And sure, maybe I don't prepare as well as I probably should. But, there's one thing I have that will help me win this battle. It's my determination and drive to try and learn new things every day. That's what makes battling so fun. You get to learn new things all the time with every battle. Now, I'm going to figure out a way to combine my Pokémon's strengths and work like a team in order to defeat you!"

Rocky just stood there, but let loose a small smile.

"If you really think that will help you, then give me your best shot."

"Now Combusken, use Sky Uppercut on Tyrunt. Mudkip, get ready for a Water Gun Attack!" Justin commanded. Combusken's arm glowed white as it started to charge towards Tyrunt. Mudkip ran a few meters behind Combusken and inhaled a large gasp of air, ready to shoot its water attack.

"I'll block your attacks. Tyrunt, use crunch on Combusken. Amaura, protect yourself from Mudkip's water gun." Rocky commanded. Tyrunt began charging at Combusken with its jaws wide open. Amaura cried out loudly as it surrounded itself in a yellow, transparent orb. Combusken and Tyrunt continued their paths until they were only a few feet away from each other.

"Heh, who said I was going to use Mudkip's water gun on Amaura." Justin remarked.

"Wait, what?" Rocky gasped.

"Now Combusken, quickly dodge to the side!"

Just as Combusken was going to swing its arm at Tyrunt, it made a quick pivot and dove to the left. Tyrunt chomped its jaws down, but didn't get any of Combusken. The force of its jaw clamping down interfered with its running pattern and caused the Rock Pokemon to stumble a little. Mudkip was positioned a few feet away from the incoming Tyrunt.

"Now, Mudkip, release your Water Gun at Tyrunt!" Justin commanded.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out as it released its attack. Instead of a normal stream of water, out came a blue ball of energy that made its way to Tyrunt. Upon impact, it exploded into a wave of water which caused Tyrunt to cry out in pain and fall onto its side.

"No, Tyrunt!" Rocky shouted worriedly.

"Wow! That was Water Pulse! Mudkip, great job! You learned water pulse!" Justin exclaimed.

"Mud-kip!" Mudkip cried out happily, acknowledging its trainer's compliment.

"Hm, impressive. However, this doesn't mean you won." Rocky remarked.

"Don't worry, I know that old timer!" Justin shouted back.

"Ohhhhh, I hate that nickname! That's it. You're going to get it now! Tyrunt, get ready to use Dragon Tail on the Rock Tomb!"

Tyrunt roared loudly as its tail lit up.

"Combusken and Mudkip, hide behind the tall rock figure on your left!" Justin commanded. Combusken and Mudkip quickly ran to their left and hid behind the tall rock formation.

"Now Tyrunt!" Rocky shouted. Tyrunt pulled its tail back before whipping it across to hit the Rock tomb. It crushed the rock tomb while shooting sharp pieces of debris at the boulder that Justin's Pokemon were hiding behind. Upon impact, it created a small explosion that covered the field with a sand cloud. Justin and Rocky braced themselves by covering their faces with their arms. A few moments later, the clouds started to dissipate, Rocky saw that the rock figure had been destroyed. However, he also saw Combusken charging towards Amaura and Tyrunt at a high speed with a sky uppercut attack.

"Why don't you guess which of your Pokemon my Combusken is going to attack?!" Justin called out confidently.

"Grrr, I need to preserve my protect move…..Tyrunt, use crunch and block Combusken from attacking Amaura!" Rocky commanded.

Tyrunt's teeth started to glow as it got ready to chomp down on Combusken's arm and intercept the attack.

"Now Mudkip! Water Pulse!" Justin called out.

"WHAT?! BUT WHERE'S MUDKIP?!" Rocky shouted confusedly. He examined the battlefield frantically trying to find Mudkip. He then turned his head upwards to find Mudkip in the air, charging down towards Tyrunt. It unleashed a blue ball of energy that turned into a wave of water once it hit Tyrunt, knocking the Rock type Pokemon backwards before landing hard on the ground near its trainer.

"Tyrunt!" Rocky shouted.

"Better keep your eyes here!" Justin exclaimed. Rocky turned his attention ahead of him to see Combusken's sky uppercut connecting with Amaura. It sent the Sauropod Pokemon into the air before landing right on top of Tyrunt, causing both of them to cry out in pain.

"Unbelievable!" Rocky exclaimed surprised.

"AW YEAH! That's how we do it baby! Nice job Combusken and Mudkip!" Justin called out exuberantly.

"Combusken!" Combusken chirped happily.

"Mud-kip!" Mudkip added. They both looked at each other and smiled.

"How did your Mudkip get all the way in the air like that?' Rocky asked.

"Well, I kind of got lucky. Just before you used your Rock Tomb, Dragon Tail combo, I used Combusken to lift Mudkip into the air with its Sky Uppercut attack. Thanks to the explosion cloud that appeared from breaking the rock figures, you never got to saw that happened. Then, Combusken swiftly charged at your Pokemon, focusing all your attention on it. While that was going on, I waited for the perfect opportunity to have Mudkip surprise attack you from the air! Sick, right?!" Justin explained.

"Well I'll be…"

"Wow! Just when you think he's done, Justin turned the tables of this battle! I've never seen a comeback like this before!" Lyra exclaimed as she held onto Justin's and her Eevee tightly.

"I can't believe he thought up of that." Aly exhaled in relief. "But that's Justin for you. When you think he's down and out, he seems to find some way of coming back. Although, I don't think it's a good idea for him to continuously do this."

"You think?"

"Well yeah. I mean, I get that he'll most likely pull it out in the end with his determination. But, he can't go through life like this all the time. There will be a time where the opponent's Pokémon are stronger, or the situation might be more intense. His determination may not be enough to get out of everything."

"I think you're worrying too much Aly. In the end, it all worked out." Lyra remarked.

"I know….but still. I wish he consider everything first before throwing himself head first into situations all the time." Aly said worriedly.

"Ee-vuie!" Justin's Eevee cheered.

"Well Justin, I'm impressed. Just like that, you turned the tide of this battle. You should be named the comeback kid." Rocky said. Tyrunt and Amaura slowly got off each other and stood back up.

"Thanks Rocky! I figure its best to learn while in the midst of things. From you beating me and my Pokemon at the beginning of the battle, I was able to come up with something to help me." Justin explained.

"Hm, while I don't agree entirely with your methods, what you did was something I've never seen before. We're at the home stretch now so let's make these last moments count!"

"You got it! Now, Combusken, use flamethrower on Tyrunt!"

"Com-busken!" Combusken cried out as it released a large stream of fire towards Tyrunt.

"Amaura, protect." Rocky commanded calmly.

"Amaur!" Amaura roared out as it ran in front of Tyrunt and surrounded itself in the protective orb, blocking Combusken's attack. The impact of the 2 attacks created a force that pushed Combusken back a few feet onto the ground.

"Now Tyrunt! Earthquake!" Rocky commanded.

"Ty!" Tyrunt roared loudly as it raised one of its legs and stomped hard on the ground. The battlefield began to shake heavily where Mudkip and Combusken lost their balance and fell onto the floor. The parts of the battlefield where they were standing on suddenly shot up a few feet into the air, sending the 2 Pokemon flying before landing hard on the ground near Justin.

"Combusken! Mudkip! C'mon guys, hang in there!" Justin shouted out. Both his Pokemon slowly got to their feet, panting heavily from exhaustion.

"That was a good combo. Earthquake would have attacked Combusken, Mudkip and Amaura. However, Amaura had protect on, so it didn't take damage from it. Oh man, I keep forgetting about that protect move. If there anywhere near each other, they'll just protect each other." Justin remarked. Something then clicked in his head

"_Wait…I think I got it." _He thought.

"Tyrunt, use Dragon Tail on Mudkip!" Rocky commanded. Tyrunt ran from behind Amaura and started to charge towards Mudkip with its tail glowing.

"Mudkip, run up front and get ready to take the attack. Combusken, start moving towards Amaura!" Justin commanded. Mudkip nodded as it held its stance while it awaited for the incoming Tyrunt. Combusken started to run to its left, away from the action.

"You must want to lose if you're going to make your Pokemon take this strong attack. Finish it off Tyrunt!" Rocky commanded. Tyrunt continued to run towards Mudkip and got ready to attack.

"Now Mudkip! Use Mud-slap!"

"Mud-kip!" Mudkip cried out as it used one of its fins to sweep some mud right into the face of Tyrunt. The mud landed right near the eyes of the t-rex Pokemon, causing it to lose its focus on running and stumble onto the floor. Mudkip jumped backwards avoid the falling Tyrunt.

"No, Tyrunt!" Rocky shouted worriedly.

"Combusken, flamethrower on Amaura!" Justin commanded.

"Combusken!" Combusken, who was surprisingly close to Amaura, released a large stream of fire right at the rock type Pokemon. The attack did some major damage and sent Amaura right to where Tyrunt was as they both lay on the floor. Combusken ran straight back to where Mudkip stood.

"I realized that both of your Pokemon are good compliments to each other only if they were close together. Once split up, it's a whole different story. Amaura can use protect but it's useless unless it's standing in between Tyrunt and the attack. Tyrunt seems to only know close combat moves, which means it can only intercept attacks when it's near Amaura. Since Tyrunt is the sword of your team, I figured you would use it attack me with either Dragon Tail or Crunch. Having it charge here gave me the opportunity to come up with a way to break your defense." Justin explained.

"I can't believe it…" Rocky said shocked.

"Well, I guess it's time to end it. Mudkip and Combusken! Use Water Pulse and Flamethrower! Combine them together!" Justin commanded.

Mudkip released a blue ball of energy while Combusken let loose a large stream of fire. Both attacks combined together where the blue energy ball was surrounded by raging flames. The attack eventually made its way over to Tyrunt and Amaura and caused a smoke explosion to occur upon impact.

"Noooooo!" Rocky screamed out in fear. Justin smiled confidently, knowing that this could be the finishing blow. A few moments later, the smoke subsided which saw Tyrunt and Amaura laying on the ground, unable to continue fighting.

"Both of the gym leader's Pokemon are unable to battle. Which means that the winner of today's Zircon City's gym battle goes to the challenger, Justin Riser!" Seamus announced as he raised a flag pointing towards Justin's side of the arena.

"We did it! We did it!" Justin shouted as he jumped up and down joyfully. Combusken and Mudkip both ran up to Justin and jumped on him, causing them all to fall to the floor.

"Combusken and Mudkip! You guys were amazing out there! Great teamwork!" Justin remarked as he embraced them both in a hug. The Pokémon cried out cheerfully and returned the hug. Eevee and Gible made their way from the stands to join the hug, which Justin openly accepted them.

"I'll say, that was an enjoyable battle. Really impressed with Justin. You can never count him out." Lyra exclaimed.

"Well, he certainly earned this victory. Who knows, maybe I am worrying too much. He always pulls through in the end." Aly smiled. They both stood up from their seats in the stands and applauded Justin. Rocky returned both of his Pokemon and made his way over to Justin, who got up from the floor with his Pokemon.

"Justin Riser, that was one of the most thrilling battles I've ever been a part of. Well done my boy." Rocky commended.

"Thanks Rocky. It was a sweet battle! Let's do it again sometime!" Justin replied.

"We will. As proof of your victory here at the Zircon Gym, here is the Zircon badge!" Rocky reached for his pocket and pulled out a dark brown, rectangular badge. Justin nodded and accepted it from the Leader.

"Check it out guys, we got ourselves our 3rd badge!" Justin exclaimed. All of his Pokemon cheered happily again.

* * *

Everyone was outside the gym with Justin, Aly and Lyra on one side while Rocky and Seamus were on the other.

"So, Justin and Lyra, I assume you'll both be looking for the next gym right? Well, up north there are 2 gyms on the way. One located in Emerald City, and another in Citrine City. Doesn't matter which one you go to first. But good luck with your travels!" Rocky explained.

"Thanks Rocky!" Justin and Lyra replied.

"Be sure to visit again sometime when you're in the neighbourhood." Seamus added.

"We sure will, see ya later old timer!" Justin smirked.

"I TOLD YOU, I'M NOT THAT OL-"Rocky froze up suddenly before bending over and holding his lower back.

"Good job Justin…" Aly remarked sarcastically.

"Oops, sorry Rocky." Justin said apologetically.

"Don't worry, you kids go. I'll help him." Seamus reassured.

"All right. See ya later!" Justin, Lyra and Aly replied as they began to walk down the road towards the Pokemon Centre.

"So, once I heal my Pokemon at the Pokemon Centre, I guess we'll be travelling for a while eh Lyra?" Justin asked.

"You betcha! It's going to be so fun!" Lyra exclaimed. "Oooh, let's have a battle ASAP!"

"You got it! Can't wait!"

"I'd like to have a nap first. I'm tired…" Aly said as she yawned.

"But you haven't done anything so far today!" Justin and Lyra remarked.

"I cheered loud and hard for Justin. I deserve a nap." Aly said with some sass. Justin and Lyra looked at each other before letting out a light-hearted laugh. The 3 trainers have finished their business with Zircon City and are ready to move on with the next step of their adventure.


	21. Chapter 21 - Helping Hand

_**AN: Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Going to update more often these days now that I'm on co-op placement rather than school.**_

**Chapter 21 – Helping Hand**

Justin, Aly and Lyra continued walking down the dirt path of Route 404 on their way to the next city. There wasn't much difference in the surrounding landscape from what they've seen in Minero so far. The grassy fields were as green as ever, the dirt path had smooth feel when stepped upon, and trees looked as healthy as ever. Sunlight shined down upon the land, creating a warm and beautiful setting for the day. Aly and Lyra were side by side conversing with each other while Justin walked right behind them with Eevee comfortably on his shoulder.

"I could get used to being here all the time. The weather, scenery and feel of Minero is just so welcoming!" Aly exclaimed.

"I know what you mean! It has this warm feeling to it, like something out of a movie." Lyra added.

"I can imagine finally settling down here after my journey, getting married to that special someone, and living here for the rest of our lives!"

"It definitely has the right environment for a romantic setting. Just sitting on a hill and watching the sunset…it's a girl's dream scenario!"

Justin sighed in disbelief at all he mushy-gushy talk. Those kind of things certainly didn't interest him that much. The group continued to walk a couple of kilometres before finally settling down under a large tree for a break. The branches were long enough to create a large shade that covered everyone underneath it. Justin and Aly grabbed their Pokeballs from their belts and threw them into the air. They all opened up and released the Pokémon contained inside: Combusken, Mudkip, Gible, Squirtle and Vulpix.

"All right everyone! It's eating time!" Aly shouted out as she placed bowls of Pokémon food on the ground. All of the Pokémon cried out happily and rushed to their respective bowls to eat. Justin and Lyra looked on and were surprised on how cheerful the Pokémon looked from eating food.

"I've never seen them all look so excited eating food before. Were they all that hungry? I know it's been awhile, but wow." Justin remarked.

"Hey Aly, did you do something extra to the Pokémon food?" Lyra asked as she turned towards Aly.

"Oh…um yes. I added some berry flavouring to it. Early this morning I churned some berries that I bought at the farmer's market in Zircon City and added it to their food. It's based on the berries that certain types of Pokémon like and that are good for them nutritionally. Although, I'm not sure if it tastes good or not." Aly replied.

"Hey everyone. Do you like the new twist Aly did you're your food?" Justin asked all of his Pokémon. Eevee, Combusken, Mudkip and Gible turned to him and let out a cheerful cry before quickly diving back into their food.

"I guess you did a good job at it Aly!" Justin smiled.

"Really? I'm so glad." Aly sighed in relief.

"Hey, you mind if my Pokémon have a sample too?" Lyra asked.

"Sure, I'd be happy to make some for them!"

"Yeah, show us your Pokémon! I'm sure they're all super cool!" Justin exclaimed joyfully.

"Well, someone's awfully excited. All right. Here goes!" Lyra said as she took her Pokeballs from her belt and released her Pokémon. Out of the balls came 4 Pokémon, with 2 of them being familiar to the group in Eevee and Growlithe. The third Pokémon was looked like a crocodile with a blue and yellow body. It had red spikes coming from the back of its head, its back and tail. The other new one was also familiar, a bird like Pokémon with red and yellow feathers on its tail and pinkish feathers coming from the back of its head

"Croconaw." The first Pokémon roared.

"Pidgeo! To!" The second Pokémon cried out.

"Wow! A Croconaw and Pidgeotto!" I've never seen a Croconaw in person before. Talk about cool!" Justin exclaimed gleefully while pulling out his Pokedex.

"_**Croconaw, the big Jaw Pokémon. Once it bites down, it doesn't let go until it loses its fangs. New fangs quickly grow into place." **_The Pokedex stated.

"I wanted to show these in a battle. But, for Aly's good Pokémon food, I decided to let them out early." Lyra exclaimed.

"Hey, why don't we battle right now?!" Justin suggested.

"Sure, I'm down. A quick workout will make that Pokémon food taste even better for them!" Lyra replied.

"Cool! Can I battle-"Justin froze in mid-sentence. He seemed to be staring at something in the distance.

"Um…Justin?" Aly asked.

"Wait here. I think I just saw a cool Pokémon!" Justin exclaimed. "C'mon Eevee!"

Justin's Eevee, who had just finished its food, nodded before running up to Justin and jumping on his shoulder. With that, the boy began to run towards a tall grassy area in the distance.

"That boy…he has the attention span of a fly." Aly remarked.

"You're right about that. I guess we should follow him." Lyra said. The 2 girls shared a laugh before starting to walk in the direction Justin went.

Justin continued to run towards his destination. He looked a little closer and saw something red sticking out of the grass.

"There it is Eevee! Get ready to battle! We're going to catch a new Pokémon!" He exclaimed.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out happily. As he was running and approached the unidentified Pokémon, he tripped over a rock and flew forward a few feet into the tall grass and disappeared from sight. Aly and Lyra saw this as they were a few seconds away from where Justin fell.

"That guy is so clumsy." Aly remarked. The 2 girls finally reached the edge of the tall grass and halted to a stop.

"Justin?" Aly called out. All of a sudden, they saw a red flower head walk out of the grass with a pair of legs sticking out of the flower head. Below the flower head was a small blue body with red circle eyes. It looked in scared and in pain.

"Hey! It's a Vileplume!" Lyra exclaimed. "…with Justin's legs sticking out of the flower opening."

"…Should we help him?" Aly asked.

"YES! YOU GUYS SHOULD HELP ME!" Justin shouted out. The Vileplume got even more frightened before shooting out a pink powder out of its flower head. Justin's body jerked from the attack before laying still on one of the flower pedals.

"Oh no! That's poison powder. And Justin took the full brunt of that attack." Lyra remarked. Justin's body slowly started to slide out of the flower head. Eevee also came out and landed on Justin's stomach. The Vileplume saw the 2 girls before running away back into the tall grass.

"Oh no! Justin!" Aly cried out as she ran to Justin's side. Just a quick look at his and Eevee's faces said it all to Aly. They were both was red and sweaty, breathing heavily and looked very weak. Eevee quickly rushed to the side of Justin's head and looked on worriedly. Lyra bent down and placed her hand over his forehead.

"We should get them back under the tree so they can lie down." Lyra suggested.

* * *

Aly and Lyra managed to get Justin and Eevee back under the tree shade where they all initially settled. Justin's Combusken, Mudkip and Gible all gathered around their sick comrades, looking on with worry and concern. Aly soaked some clothes in cool water and placed them on Justin and Eevee's forehead. She used her and Lyra's sweaters as blankets to cover up.

"Both of them were poisoned from that Vileplume's attack." Lyra said. "Do you know any mixtures that could help them?"

"…Um, I might." Aly used her sweater as a pillow to rest Justin's head. She then went to her bag and pulled out some journal notes to read through.

"Let's see…hey, here's an entry on a cure for poison." Aly exclaimed. "Though, I don't know if I could properly do it. What if I mess up?"

"Please Aly. You have to try. For Justin and Eevee's sake." Lyra said.

"…you're right, I have to try."

"Thanks! I know you can Aly!"

"It says here that I'll need some Pecha, Oran and Lum berries for their remedies." Aly quickly checked her bag to find that she had none of those berries on her.

"None of those berries eh?" Lyra remarked.

"Nope. Of all times to have rotten luck, it has to be now…" Aly mumbled as she looked down and started to tear up.

"Aly…don't cry…" Lyra put one of her hands on her shoulder.

"That does it." Aly quickly looked upwards and wiped most of her tears from her face. "I'm going to look around the area and find those berries!"

"Are you sure you'll be all right? You want me to come?" Lyra asked.

"It's okay. You should stay here to look after Justin and Eevee. Besides, I'll have Squirtle and Vulpix to accompany me." Aly said as she looked down at her Pokémon. Both Squirtle and Vulpix nodded and walked over towards her.

"Al….Aly…" Justin quietly mumbled. Aly and Lyra heard Justin and quickly rushed to his side. Aly grabbed his hand and held it tight.

"Don't worry Justin. I'm going to find some berries and make something to help you and Eevee feel better." Aly smiled.

Justin then grimaced from the pain of the poison before passing out. He was still sweaty and breathing heavily. Aly let go of his hand, got up and turned around.

"Lyra, take care of them while I'm gone. I'll try to be back with all the ingredients soon." She said before running off into the distance with her Pokémon. Lyra looked on before she was out of sight.

"I haven't been with her for that long, but I've never seen her be that determined ever..." Lyra remarked before turning her attention back to Justin and Eevee.

* * *

Aly had found herself way off the Route 404 path and into a small forest area. There were a sea of green trees and shrubs surrounding the area. Sunlight glimmered through the tall tree branches, creating a light and dark pattern on the ground. There was the sound of crackling tree branches as she continued to walk on.

"All right. From what I know, Berries are usually found in areas like these. Be on the lookout Squirtle and Vulpix." Aly exclaimed.

"Squirtle! Squirt!" Squirtle cried out as it saluted Aly.

"Vulpix!" Vulpix nodded. They all began to look more astutely at the surroundings. They trekked through all sorts of paths like heavily bushed areas and log littered trails. They all decided to split up for a bit and search in different areas, but stay within close proximity. Nonetheless, there was no sight of any berries anywhere.

"This isn't looking good. It's been almost an hour and we haven't made any progress." Aly whined as she sat on a tree stump. Just then, Vulpix emerged from a group of bushes and ran up to her.

"Vulpix! Vul!" Vulpix cried out.

"What is it Vulpix? You find berries?" Aly asked.

Vulpix nodded as it turned around and went back the way it came.

"C'mon Squirtle!" Aly shouted as she got off the stump and ran Vulpix's way. Squirtle, who was in a tree, quickly jumped down and ran their way. After running for a while, Aly stopped behind Vulpix, whose head was peering through some tall bushes.

"What's the matter Vulpix?" Aly asked. Vulpix's head came out of the bushes and gestured her to look. Aly bent down and slowly moved her head through the bushes to look. She saw a field of berry plants condensed in an open area surrounded by tall trees. There were a variety of berries coming out of the plants such as Oran, Pecha, Cherri and Lum berries. Aly gleamed and got ready to walk ahead. Just then, Vulpix lifted on of its paws to signal Aly not to move.

"What is it Vulpix?" She asked confused.

"Vul." Vulpix cried out softly as it pointed to its left. Aly looked in that direction and found out what Vulpix was saying. There were tons of Kakuna laying in and against the trees to the left sleeping soundly.

"Oh great. We can't wake them up. They might evolve into Beedrill and attack us." Aly remarked. She and Vulpix then pulled their heads out of the bushes and began to formulate a plan with Squirtle.

"Ok, we got to be very quiet guys. There are 3 berries we need to get, preferably 2 of each. Squirtle, you look for the Pecha berries, which are pink and have 2 leaves coming from it. Vulpix, you look for the Lum berries, which are green and have a small butt on the top. I'll look for the Oran berries. Remember guys, we have to be silent though. Justin and Eevee are counting on us." Aly explained. Vulpix and Squirtle both nodded at their trainer's orders.

With that, they quietly made their way through the bushes and towards to berry plant garden, each of them tip-toeing in a different direction. Aly made her way to the Oran Berry plant, picked a few of them off and placed it in her bag.

"That's one down." She whispered to herself.

Vulpix stayed low to the ground and walked quietly through the berry plants. It continually turned its head left and right in search of the Lum berries. Vulpix made its way around the plants before coming out with nothing. It was about to go back to Aly, but then found some Lum Berry trees to the far left, right beside a few sleeping Kakunas.

"Be careful Vulpix." Aly whispered. Vulpix slowly began to make its way over to the berries. It was going very well until Vulpix stepped on a fallen branch, creating a small cracking sound. Aly, Squirtle and Vulpix all froze up as their hearts started to race.

The Kakunas nearby however, didn't move an inch and continued to sleep. Vulpix sighed in relief and continued towards the Lum berries. It successfully picked them off and made its way back to Aly.

"Good job Vulpix." Aly whispered as she petted Vulpix on the head.

"Now, to see what Squirtle's up to…"

Aly turned in the direction of Squirtle. The water Pokémon appeared to be picking random berries of the plants and eating them contently. Aly quickly made her way over to Squirtle and picked it up to her level.

"Squirtle. Did you get the berries?!" Aly whispered.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out loudly as it lifted its hand, which was holding Pecha Berries. Squirtle then realized it spoke too loud and quickly covered its mouth with its free hand. Aly looked behind her and saw the Kakuna starting to wake up. It open their eyes and glared right at the group. Aly and Vulpix began to slowly walk backwards in fear.

"Uh-oh. This is not good…." Aly said. Suddenly, all the Kakuna started to illuminate brightly and change shape. The once crescent shaped Kakuna turned into a big bee with a sharp stinger at its tail.

"Bzzzzzzz!" All the Beedrill buzzed angrily.

"Crap! Let's get out of here!" Aly yelled as she, Squirtle and Vulpix started to run in the opposite direction. All the Beedrill began to chase her down the forest. Aly, Squirtle and Vulpix seemed to have had a faster speed then the Beedrill, who were slowly leaving their sight.

"All right! We're losing them!" Aly exclaimed happily. On her left there was a tall and thick pile of bushes that were big enough to hide in.

"Quickly guys. Let's hide in those bushes on the left." She called out as she started to make her way to them. Squirtle and Vulpix followed in behind her before they all dove into the bushes and disappeared from sight. The Beedrill didn't notice a thing as they continued to fly by. Aly and her Pokémon stayed low until they didn't hear anymore buzzing.

"I think we're safe now. Let's get a move on-, "Aly said as she started to stand up. After getting on one leg, a wall of exhaustion hit her and caused her to fall back onto the ground. Aly felt her strength and energy leaving her a fast rate and began to hyperventilate.

"_No, not again…_" Aly thought to herself as she tried to catch her breathe. Squirtle and Vulpix noticed this and rushed to her side.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out worriedly.

"It's ok…Squirtle…I'll be ok…" Aly said as she began to cough heavily. Both her Pokémon watched on, not knowing what was happening to her. Aly tried to stand up again, but was stopped by both of her Pokémon.

"Vul-pix." Vulpix muffled while still holding onto Pecha Berries in its mouth. It made a gesture to stay down and not move.

"You guys…want me to rest here for a bit, right?"

Both Pokémon nodded

"But…I don't have time to rest. I…gotta help Justin and-" Aly was interrupted by Vulpix and Squirtle lightly tackling her after she tried to stand up again. She looked at her Pokémon, seeing the concern in their eyes.

"…Ok, you guys win…I'll sit still for a bit." Aly said as she slowly started to catch her breathe. Vulpix and Squirtle smiled and went in to hug her. Aly embraced them tightly and smiled.

"Thanks…you guys are the best." Aly said softly as she started to tear up a little.

"You probably want to know why these random fatigue things happen to me." Squirtle and Vulpix looked up at her with curious looks.

"Well, the story goes…"

* * *

Lyra rung clothes in the cool water and placed them on Justin's and Eevee's forehead, who were both lying underneath the tree's shade in their ill state. Justin's Combusken, Mudkip and Gible, as well as Lyra's Eevee, Growlithe and Pidgeotto were all sitting around the 2. Lyra's Eevee tapped its trainer's leg to get her attention.

"Don't worry Eevee, both of them will be fine. As soon as Aly gets back that is…" Lyra said while giving them a faint smile.

"_Aly…I hope you come back soon. I know you can do it." _She thought to herself. Just then, Justin suddenly started to wake from his sleep as his eyes slowly opened.

"Justin! You're up." Lyra exclaimed. She quickly moved other to his side and kneeled down before him.

"So…how do you feel?"

"Urghh…like hell…" Justin moaned.

"Still that bad huh?"

"Yeah….I didn't even….get to battle with you because of this…worst feeling ever."

Lyra and all of Justin's Pokémon looked at each other bewildered before letting out a sigh.

"Seriously? C'mon Justin, I think your health is a little more important than our battle." Lyra said

"Yeah…I know…wait, where's Aly?" Justin asked as he tilted his head left to right in search of his friend.

"She went off to find some berries so she can produce a remedy for you and Eevee."

"Eevee…is she…"

"Eevee is in the same state as you. But, she's currently asleep resting. All of us are watching over you." Lyra explained as she pointed over towards Eevee.

"…Poor Eevee, it's my faul-…wait, Aly's where? All by herself? Is she all right? Has she come back?" Justin asked worriedly as he started to get up. Lyra however placed her hands on his shoulders to prevent him from getting up.

"Hey, you're in no condition to get up right now. You need to rest right now." Lyra remarked.

"I don't care…Aly may be in trouble. Why didn't you…go with her?" Justin said weakly as he tried to fight off Lyra's force, but was easily overpowered in his current state.

"She wanted me to stay and watch over you. Aly's a big girl who can handle herself. I saw the look in her eyes before she left. She was determined to find these berries in order to help you and Eevee."

"Yes…but she's…"

"Have a little more faith in your friend will you? Yes, I know Aly is very sensitive, and may not be the most head-strong person. However, if she wants to find herself and grow as a person, you can't always be there to hold her hand through everything. She's going to have to learn on her own." Lyra explained. Justin looked at Lyra, slowly starting to understand the words coming from his friend's mouth. He finally stopped resisting Lyra's push and lay still on the bed.

"I'm sorry…you're right. Watch over Eevee for me, please." Justin mumbled.

Lyra strung a small smile as she began to stroke his hair. "Don't worry about it. Just rest ok."

Justin also let out a small smile before finally going back to sleep.

"_It's clear they definitely care a lot about each other…Aly, please hurry."_

* * *

"And that's why I'm like this. There's still no explanation for it, but it is what it is." Aly said. She felt more energetic than she was before. Squirtle and Vulpix were still trying to take in the entire story that their trainer had just spoke about.

"A lot to take in I know. Hopefully it won't change your decision to travel with me. Also, you can't tell anyone else. Not even Justin. He can't know..."

Squirtle and Vulpix shook their head and cuddled with their trainer again. Aly hugged them back before getting up onto her feet.

"You guys are truly the best. Well, I'm feeling better right now. What you say we head back?"

Both of her Pokémon cried out in agreement. With that, the group began to walk in order to find a way out of the forest and back to their friends.

* * *

"Hey Justin, I see Aly coming this way." Lyra said with excitement. Justin opened his eyes and saw Aly and her Pokémon walking up to them in the distance. She eventually reached the group and kneeled down at Justin's side.

"Are you…okay?" He said weakly.

"I'm fine. I'm more concerned about you and Eevee." Aly said softly.

"Please, help Eevee first…It's my fault she's like that."

"I'm going to help both of you. Just hang tight." Aly took off her bag, opened the zipper and took out all the berries her and her Pokémon got from the forest. She then pulled out her journal and started to read the instructions for a poison remedy.

"All right. First, we need to mix all the berries together and churn them. Squirtle and Vulpix, I'll need your help." Aly said.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out happily.

"Vulpix!" Vulpix nodded. Together they performed several steps that included mixing the crushed berries with water, heating the mixture with Vulpix's fire and stirring the contents for a period of time.

"Wow Aly, you look like a natural on Pokémon medicine. Should I call you Doc Aly?" Lyra remarked,

"Oh, no…no. This is actually my first time creating something like this. Hopefully it'll turn out well." Aly replied uncertainly as she stirred the mixture.

"Hmm…I think I'll add a bit of a Tamato berry too for that a little extra flavouring." She added. Aly grabbed one from her bag and peeled off a small portion before dumping it into the medicine.

"Lyra, can you give me a spoon?" Aly asked.

"No problem!" Lyra replied. She ran to her bag and returned with the required utensil.

"Thanks. It's just about ready." Aly made some last minute preparations before walking over to kneel beside both Justin and Eevee. All of the other Pokémon gathered around to watch.

"Eevee, this is some medicine I made to help cure the poison in your body." Aly said as she scooped some of it with the spoon.

"…Ee." Eevee cried out weakly as it opened it eyes. It saw the medicine and then opened its mouth. Aly carefully move the spoon and titled it down its mouth.

"Now, for Justin." Aly said. She moved over towards Justin and got a spoonful ready for him.

"This is for you. My way of helping you, for all you've done for me so far."

Justin smiled right back before opening his mouth to drink the mixture. He gulped it down and closed his eyes again. It was a miracle as Justin's face instantly turned back to its normal colour. He was breathing a little more normally again.

"I think it's working!" Lyra exclaimed. They both checked on Eevee, who no longer look in pain and was breathing normally again.

"It seems to be working on Eevee as well. You really did it Aly. I knew you could!" Lyra said as she gave Aly a hug. All of Justin's Pokémon cried out happily and gave their thanks to Aly.

"…I'm so glad it helped." Aly said happily.

"We should let them rest for a bit and check up on them later."

"You're right. How about I make your Pokémon my special mix food?"

"Yes please!"

* * *

It was evening time where the sun started to set and the sky was bright orange. Justin and Eevee were feeling much better thanks to Aly's remedy, but were taking it easy for the night as per the girl's instructions. All of Justin's, Aly's and Lyra's Pokémon were sitting in a circle on a table cloth laid on the ground. Aly was making a stew dinner in a pot that hung above a small campfire. Once the stew was ready, she poured a bit into smaller bowls and placed them in front of the Pokémon to eat.

"Well everyone. This is a simple stew I made with some ingredients I bought from Zircon City. Dig in, I hope you enjoy it." Aly said. All the Pokémon ate a few bites and then let out cries of happiness.

"Seems like they like it Aly. I think I'll help myself to some too!" Lyra remarked as she went to get herself a bowl.

"That's good. Eat up, there's plenty!" Aly poured another bowl of stew and started to walk over towards Justin, who was sitting alone near the tree stump. He heard some noise coming from his left and turned over to see Aly with food.

"Here Justin, I made some food for you. I hope you like it." Aly said.

"You're the best Aly." Justin smiled as he accepted the bowl from her. He slowly scooped up some stew with his spoon and placed it in his mouth. Aly looked on nervously as she watched him eat her food.

"It's delicious Aly. I mean it!" Justin said happily. Aly let out a sigh of relief from his comments.

"That makes me so happy!"

"Also, I'd like to thank you for what you and Lyra did for me, and especially Eevee today. I don't know where I'd be without you." Justin and Aly looked on at all the Pokémon and found Eevee looking better and eating Aly's food.

"You're welcome. Glad I can help."

"Just know…if you're ever in trouble Aly, I promise I'll be there for you just like you were for me today." Justin said confidently.

"…..Sounds good. Thanks Justy!" Aly smiled.

"Justy?"

"It's your new nickname. Thought of it all by myself!"

"Sounds girl-ish. Not sure I'm buying it."

"Even more reason to call you it!"

_**Please review if you have anything to say!**_


	22. Chapter 22 - Ee-volution

**_A/N: Finally, I got this chapter done. I'm surprisingly busier than I thought I'd be. Here is the newest chapter. It's long I know, sorry. Soon, I'm going to use the feedback I've received from earlier chapters to edit them and upload newer versions. New chapters will still be written during that process too. _**

**Chapter 22: Ee-volution**

"Gible! Use Rock Smash!" Justin commanded.

"Croconaw, wrap it up with water gun!" Lyra ordered.

Gible's fist lit up as it charged towards Croconaw. The water Pokémon waited until Gible was close enough before unleashing a powerful stream of water that sent the dragon Pokémon backwards onto the ground it front of Justin. Gible let out a faint cry, signalling it was unable to battle anymore.

"Looks like Gible is unable to battle anymore." Aly called from the sidelines with Justin's Eevee. Justin rushed towards Gibe and carried it in his arms.

"Oh Gible. It's ok, we'll get them next time." Justin said sympathetically.

"You're timing with Gible is still off, but it's coming for sure." Lyra remarked as she recalled Croconaw back to its ball.

"You think? That's good to hear. Gible and I will keep practising until we're in perfect sync like how I am with Eevee, Combusken and Mudkip." Justin exclaimed. "Right Gible."

"Gible!" Gible cried out. It stared at Justin for a few seconds before jumping up and biting down on Justin's head.

"OW! OW! GIBLE! STOP THAT!" Justin shouted as he flailed around, trying to get Gible off. Eevee immediately ran up to the 2 and unleased a shadow ball attack on Gible. The attack sent Gible into the air before falling into Justin's arms again.

"Anyways, we'll train again later." Justin pulled out its Pokeball and returned the Pokémon. He then looked down at Eevee, who was sitting to his right.

"Thanks for that pal."

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out as it jumped into Justin's arms and cuddled in them. Aly and Lyra look at each other and gave a warm smile.

"Thanks for being my training partner Lyra. Although, it'll be a different story when we really battle!" Justin called out.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from the handsome Justin Riser!" Lyra said with a flirty wink.

Justin began to blush slightly, but then felt a sharp pinch on his arm and cried out in pain. He looked over and saw Aly looking away with an irritated look on her face.

"OWW! What was that for?"

* * *

The 3 trainers continued to walk along the trainer path of Route 404. Justin's Eevee was perched on Justin's shoulder as usual. Aly decided to pull out her Poke-Tab and look at the Minero Region Map.

"Hey, there's a town up ahead called Granite Town. IF we continue our current pace, we should reach there in a few hours." Aly said.

"That's good news. I'm dying for a shower and comfy bed." Lyra added.

"Well, let's pick up the pace shall we?!" Justin exclaimed as he started to run ahead of the girls.

"Wha? Justin!" Aly cried out while raising her hand to try and stop him.

"He sure has a lot of energy. Thanks to that special medicine you gave him yesterday, it's like he was never sick!" Lyra remarked.

"Maybe I did too good a job." Aly sighed.

Justin looked behind him and saw that the 2 girls were far away from him and still walking. He stopped running and turned around in the opposite direction.

"Those 2 girls never seem to join in on the fun. Right Eevee?" Justin said.

"Ee-vuie." Eevee nodded slightly.

"Well, I guess we should wait for them." Justin crossed his arms and sat cross-legged on the dirt path. It didn't take long before Aly and Lyra were only a few meters away.

"Good, they're here. Now, let's…" Justin was cut off as a random stream of water hit him on the side of the face, knocking him and Eevee to the ground. Aly and Lyra saw this and quickly ran up to him.

"Are you ok?" Lyra asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Eevee?"

"Vuie." Eevee replied with a yes.

"What the heck was that?"

"Oh great, it's you guys again." A voice replied from a distance. Justin, Lyra and Aly got up and looked in the direction the voice spoke. A familiar boy, who was a couple of meters away, appeared with a blue turtle Pokémon that had a brown &amp; yellow shell with white furs covering its ears and tail.

"It's Ron." Justin stated.

"It looks like he has a Wartortle too." Aly added. She then pulled out her Pokedex to identify Ron's new Pokémon.

"_**Wartortle, the Turtle Pokémon, and the evolved for of Squirtle. It is said to live 10 000 years. Its furry tail is popular as a symbol of longevity." **_The Pokedex stated.

"Wow, you have a Wartortle?! That's awesome! It looks so cool!" Justin exclaimed excitedly as he walked up to Ron, who was off the trainer path.

"Still the same over-exuberant person I see…" Ron remarked.

"Oh yeah, I just wanted to say thanks again for helping us back at the EPPS Centre (Chapter 13). We sure taught those Pokémon hunters a lesson, am I right?!" Justin said while extending out his hand for a handshake.

Ron looked down at Justin's hand for moment.

"_Maybe he's changed…" _Justin thought to himself. Seconds later, Ron smirked and rudely slapped Justin's hand away.

"Yeah right. Let me remind you that it was mainly Raikou who did most of the work in handling those criminals. Also, it was you who held us back during that double battle. I could have taken our opponents all by myself." Ron retorted.

"What? C'mon man. That's not true." Justin said angrily.

"You're right. You shouldn't get all the blame. It was also because of that pathetic Pokémon Eevee you still carry around." Ron taunted. Eevee was about to growl back, but then came across a rather serious and evil glare coming from its former owner. This scared the normal type Pokémon and caused it to look down and sulk in sadness.

"Man, you can't really mean that. Eevee is a great Pokémon who has helped me become the trainer I am today."

"Well, you must not be very good then. Any real trainer would see that Eevee is weak and needs to have its hand held for everything it faces. Trust me, as its former trainer I can see that this Pokémon will not become strong. Combine that with your methods on how to train Pokémon, Eevee and yourself are basically lost causes."

Aly and Lyra looked on, bewildered at Ron's recent remark.

"Woah, now that was low." Aly said.

"You said it. I officially can't stand this guy." Lyra added.

Justin got even angrier and clenched his fist tight. He then noticed Eevee was starting to cry a little. He picked off the Pokémon off his shoulder and hugged it.

"Ron, you've gone way too far this time. Eevee may not seem strong in your eyes, but that doesn't give you the right to taunt the way you did. And what do you mean by my methods on training Pokémon? Is there something you think I'm doing wrong?" Justin shot back.

"You act too nice and friendly with your Pokémon. The only thing that does is get in the way a trainer becoming strong. Relying on others and teamwork, it's all nonsense and will only backfire in the end. In a Pokémon battle, and the world for that matter, it's you versus everyone. Only you can figure out how hard you have to work in order to become strong." Ron explained.

"Trainers have to work together with their Pokémon and become one in the same. You will find true strength then." Aly blurted out. Both Justin and Ron turned their attention to her, which Aly then had a nervous look on her face.

"What would you know? You're not even a real trainer. You're only a scared little girl who needs to rely too much on this guy to get through life." Ron retorted, pointing at Justin.

Aly was shaken from those comments. Not only were they uncalled for, but she thought they were somewhat true.

"Hey, you take that back!" Justin yelled as he ran towards Ron as he raised his clenched fist. Eevee jumped from Justin's arms as it felt its trainer move.

"Wartortle, use Water gun." Ron commanded. Wartortle quickly unleashed a powerful stream of water at Justin's face, which sent him backwards onto the ground.

"Justin!" Aly and Lyra cried out. Both girls and Eevee ran over to see if he was all right. Justin slowly got up and wiped the water and dirt from his face.

"It's ok Justin. Don't start trouble." Aly said.

"How could you say that after what he said about you and Eevee?" Justin retorted back. Aly kept quiet and put a saddened expression on her face, which made Justin realize his tone.

"I'm sorry Aly. But, I can't just do nothing after he said awful things about 2 people I care a lot about."

"Justy…."

Justin quickly got up and focused his attention on Ron.

"So Ron, I'm assuming you're not friends with your Pokémon? And I guess you're Pokémon are stronger than mine?" Justin asked.

"Why don't you find out?" Ron said, pulling out a Pokeball and raising it in front of Justin. The wind started to pick up, as the setting became like 2 cowboys in the Wild West, getting ready for a duel.

"There's one thing I'll never do. And that's back down from a challenge. Especially when I'm fighting for my friends." Justin replied confidently.

Ron smirked and began to walk in the other direction with his Wartortle. After a couple of meters, he stopped and turned around to face Justin. Aly and Lyra walked away while Eevee stood by Justin's side.

"How does a 2 on 2 battle sound?" Ron asked.

"Works for me bud! This is going to be intense!" Justin exclaimed.

"You won't be that chippy when I beat you. Wartortle, you're up."

Wartortle looked up at its trainer and nodded before running up front into a battle stance. It had a cunning smile on its face, trying to intimidate Justin.

"This is going to be sick! All right! Here's my Pokémon!" Justin cried out as he threw the Pokeball into the sky. The ball opened and out came a bright flash that encompassed a small dragon Pokémon with 2 jet engine-like horns.

"Gible!" Gible cried out. It jumped up and down while flailing its arms all over the place, looking like an excited child.

"All right Gible. Time to put our training to the test."

"Hmph. Interesting. It's too bad the potential of your Gible will never be realized since you're training it." Ron said bluntly.

"Man, you are really something." Justin remarked.

"Whatever. Let's just get this battle started. I'll be nice and allow you the first move."

Justin nodded as he think about his first move. The adrenaline started to course through his body. So much that his thought process disappeared as he just moved his mouth to speak.

"Ok Gible, use Rock Smash!" Justin commanded.

Gible roared loudly and it vaulted itself forward towards Wartortle with its fist glowing brightly.

"Wartortle, block the attack." Ron ordered calmly. Wartortle nodded before going into a battle stance and raising its claws up to face level.

Gible pulled its arm back slightly before leaning into its attack at Wartortle. Wartortle smirked before clamping down on Gible's fists with its claws and blocked the attack. A strong wind blew by Wartortle, and caused its tail to wave, which emphasized the force of the Rock Smash attack.

"What the?" Justin cried out surprised.

"Throw it back and use Water Gun!" Ron shouted.

Wartortle raised Gible in the air before throwing it forward. It then released a powerful stream of water right at the Dragon Pokémon, sending it all the way back near Justin onto the ground.

"Gible! You all good?"

"Gib!" Gible cried out as it got up quickly to its feet.

"Good to hear bud! Now, let's use Dig!"

Gible jumped up into the air before digging underground into the Earth.

"Be on guard Wartortle." Ron called out.

"Tortle!" Wartortle nodded. It looked around cautiously, carefully tuning into its senses in order to find any hint that'll give Gible's location. A few moments after, there were some small pebbles on the ground to the left rumbling. Wartortle opened its eyes instantly and shot a water gun attack at the spot, anticipating Gible to emerge to the surface. What came out instead was a large red-coloured fireball that intercepted the attack, causing a mini smoke explosion.

"What? Dragon Rage?" Ron exclaimed surprised. The smoke began to subside from the area, the battlefield becoming slowly visible to both trainers.

"All right Gible! Time to come out and use your signature move!" Justin called out.

Ron braced himself for the so called signature move. The feeling of the battle became tenser as everyone, from the battlers to the viewers, got ready.

"Gible! Use Crunch!"

Gible instantly popped up from the ground right in front of Wartortle, which startled the Water Type Pokémon immensely. That gave enough time for Gible to bite its jaws down…on Wartortle's head.

"WAR-TORTLE!" Wartortle cried out in pain as it quickly tried to pull Gible off its head. The water Pokémon struggled as Gible had a good bite down on its noggin'.

"Now you know my pain when Gible does this to me! HAHAHAHA!" Justin yelled.

"Get it off Wartortle! C'mon!" Ron called out angrily. Wartortle pulled and pulled, but couldn't get the Dragon Pokémon off its head.

"That's right Gible. Now, use Dragon Rage!" Justin commanded.

Gible's mouth started to glow red-orange as the Pokémon began to store power for its attack. Wartortle began to panic as it put forth more effort to pulling Gible off. It was too late however, as Gible released its Dragon Rage attack on Wartortle, causing a giant smoke explosion to occur in the area of the 2 Pokémon. Both trainers looked on as they awaited the outcome of that attack. The smoke began to subside where Gible became visible, standing firmly on the ground.

"Nice one Gible! Way to go!" Justin called out.

"Heh, you haven't won just yet." Ron remarked.

Justin looked on as the smoke fully dissipated from the battle area. Wartortle became visible, standing up straight as if nothing happened, smirking at both Justin and Gible.

"No way." Justin said surprised.

"My Wartortle's defense is pretty high, thanks to training I did with my Pokémon." Ron explained. "Now, it's my turn to attack. Wartortle, use Aqua tail."

A spiral of water formed around the tail of Wartortle, spinning at the speed of a vortex. The Water Pokémon began to charge right at Gible, ready to whip its tail around and attack.

"Gible! Dodge it!" Justin commanded.

Wartortle whipped its tail right at Gible, but the Dragon Pokémon jumped up in the air to evade the attack.

"Nice try, but that won't work." Ron remarked.

Wartortle then whipped its tail up in Gible's direction and released the water spiralling around it. The attack hit Gible right in the face, causing it to fall hard onto its back on the ground.

"Gible no!" Justin cried out worriedly.

"Wow that was impressive. Shooting the water from the aqua tail as an attack? He's good." Lyra remarked.

"Well, Justin can handle it." Aly said back to her.

"Gible, use Dragon Rage!" Justin commanded. Gible proceeded to unleashing a red-orange fireball from its mouth right at Wartortle.

"Wartortle, counter it with water gun!" Ron commanded. Wartortle released a powerful stream of water from its mouth to intercept the Dragon Rage. Both attacks collided, creating another smoke explosion.

"Gible, quickly use Rock Smash!"

Ron was startled from the quick command given by Justin. Next thing he knew, he saw Gible emerge from the smoke at a high speed and throw its glowing fist right at Wartortle. Wartortle raised its arms in a cross to block the attack, but was pushed back onto the ground. Gible instantly jumped back to its trainer after finishing its move.

"Your Gible's speed and power is impressive, I must admit." Ron said reluctantly.

"Well, thanks! Your Wartortle is pretty good as well man!" Justin smiled.

"Time to end this now. Wartortle, use Aqua Tail on the ground!"

"Tortle!" Wartortle cried out loudly. It formed a water spiral around its tail again, but this time slammed it down on the ground. The earth shook a little and the water from the tail formed a mini tidal wave that was heading towards Gible.

"Gible, hide underground with dig!" Justin commanded quickly.

Gible quickly buried itself underground to try and avoid the attack.

"Idiot. The water will follow Gible down that hole." Ron said.

Justin gasped as he realized that fact as well. The tidal wave swept the field and began to drain into the hole in the ground. A few moments after, Gible quickly popped up and began coughing, catching its breath from almost being drowned.

"Now, grab Gible!" Ron shouted. Wartortle ran up to Gible and grabbed the dragon Pokémon by the top of its head. Gible began to squirm around as it tried to free itself from Wartortle's grasp.

"End this with a close range water gun!"

Wartortle inhaled deeply as it prepared a powerful water gun attack inches away from Gible. Justin cringed away from the battle, fearing what was going to happen to Gible. At the last moment, he had one last idea in his head and called it out quickly.

"Gible, Dragon Rage max power now!"

"Gible!" Gible roared out as it formed a red-orange fireball in its mouth and fired it at Wartortle, just as the water gun attack shot at it. From the impact of the 2 attacks, a massive smoke explosion occurred and created a strong wind, blowing both trainers off their feet and onto the ground. Aly and Lyra both held each other in order to maintain their position standing.

Justin and Ron looked on as the smoke slowly started to clear away. Gible was lying on the ground, covered in dirt and scratches, unable to continue battling anymore. Wartortle was down on one knee, covered in scratches like Gible, panting heavily from the battle. It wasn't long before the Water type Pokémon fell over onto the ground, unable to battle as well.

"Looks like the first match is a draw." Lyra exclaimed.

Justin ran up to Gible as picked the Pokémon up in his arms.

"Gible, are you ok?" He asked.

"Gib…" Gible replied weakly.

"That was a great battle Gible." Justin smiled as he returned the Dragon Pokémon back to its Pokeball.

"Wartortle, return." Ron called out as he pointed the Pokeball at his fallen Pokémon to return it.

"I'll deal with you later." He muttered before reaching for another Pokeball. Justin then looked down at Eevee.

"Eevee, it's your time to shine girl." Justin said.

Eevee had a determined look on its face and nodded confidently before running onto the battle area.

"Well, this is certainly interesting. Now for my Pokémon." Ron said as he threw his 2nd Pokeball into the air. Out came a large red Pokémon with a yellow flame design on it, a puckered yellow beak with small eyes, and a tail that had a flame on its tip. It looked very similar to his Magby as well.

"Mag-mar!" The Pokémon roared loudly.

"You're Magby evolved into a Magmar?" Justin asked shocked.

"Indeed. And it's much more powerful too. You scared?" Ron remarked.

"Scared?...More like ecstatic! This is so awesome!" Justin squealed like a little kid.

"Ugh…you're so annoying. Let's just move on. I have things to do rather than dealing with weaklings like you guys."

Justin growled after hearing that remark.

"Fine. Then let's go. Eevee, show off your speed with Quick Attack."

"Vuie!" Eevee cried out as it charged towards Magmar at an insanely high speed.

"Magmar, feint attack!" Ron commanded.

Magmar started to run towards Eevee as both Pokémon were about to collide head on. Just before they reached each other, Magmar vanished into thin air. This surprised Eevee as it began to slow down and apply its brakes. That gave Magmar the opportunity to re-appear on the right and sucker punch the Normal Type Pokémon in the face, knocking it to the left on the ground.

"Eevee! Get up pal!" Justin called out. Eevee quickly got up, shook its head a few times and got back into battle mode.

"Good job! Now, let's try Iron Tail!"

Eevee nodded as it jumped high in the air towards Magmar. It lifted its glowing tail up and then descended down somersaulting to gain momentum.

"Magmar, counter with flamethrower." Ron ordered.

Magmar took a deep breath before letting out a powerful hot stream of fire towards the descending Eevee. The flamethrower met with Eevee's Iron Tail and stopped the normal type Pokémon from somersaulting as both attacks began pushing against each other. Magmar and Eevee had engaging looks on their faces, determined to be the one to win the push.

"I know you can do it Eevee!" Justin called out.

"C'mon Magmar! Push it back already!" Ron yelled.

Both Pokémon continued to push, but finally it was Magmar who turned up the heat and managed to knock Eevee out of the air and back onto the ground.

"Magmar! Fire Punch!" Ron commanded.

"Mag!" Magmar cried out as started to run towards Eevee with its fist engulfed in flames.

"Eevee, quickly use dig!" Justin called out.

Just before Magmar swung its arm at Eevee, the normal type Pokémon burrowed underground and avoided the attack.

"Magmar, watch ou-"Ron said before being interrupted by an emerging Eevee from right under Magmar's feet, knocking the fire type Pokémon back with a super effective attack.

"Way to show them girl!" Justin called out.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee smiled back at its trainer.

"Get up Magmar!" Ron yelled at his Pokémon. Magmar got back up to its feet as per its trainer's command and roared loudly at the sky.

"Now, use confuse ray!"

Magmar created 6 golden energy balls that floated in the air and fired them towards Eevee. The normal type Pokémon tried to dodge the attack, but the confuse ray made contact and enveloped it. Eevee's expression went from a serious and confident one to dazed and confused. It began to wobble, trying to maintain its balance.

"Oh no!" Justin cried out.

"This isn't good. Eevee is confused." Lyra pointed out to Eevee.

"C'mon Eevee! Snap out of it!" Aly yelled from the sidelines.

"With your Pokémon confused, it'll have a hard time trying to attack mine." Ron taunted.

"Eevee! C'mon and concentrate! Use a shadow ball attack!" Justin commanded.

Eevee looked at its trainer with a confused look. It then preceded to charging at Magmar at a high speed, performing a quick attack instead of shadow ball.

"Magmar, fire punch." Ron commanded calmly.

Magmar leaned back slightly before throwing its fiery punch right at an incoming Eevee, doing major damage and sending it backwards all the way in front of Justin. Eevee got up slowly in the same dazed state.

"Shadow Ball again!" Justin commanded.

"Do you really think it'll work?" Ron questioned bluntly. Just as he finished talking, Eevee conjured up a dark ball of energy and hurled it towards Magmar, hitting the fire type Pokémon and dealing some damage.

"Does that answer your question? Do it again Eevee!"

"…Vuie…" Eevee cried out. It conjured up another shadow ball attack, but this time shot up in the air. The attack ascended up into the air before reaching its peak and stopped. It then began to fall down and headed straight to Eevee.

"Eevee get out of there!" Justin yelled out. It was too late though, as Eevee didn't recognize Justin's command and just took the attack. The impact created a small explosion to occur, blocking everyone's view of Eevee.

"Oh Eevee…" Justin said softly. The smoke started to clear away, revealing Eevee lying on the ground, trying to keep its eyes open to remain in the battle. It was still under the confusion that Magmar set earlier.

"That Eevee is on the verge of losing this battle. Can't you see now that I was right! That Eevee is a weak Pokémon and has no business being with any trainer." Ron taunted.

"Enough with that!" Justin yelled back at him.

"Why can't you just get it through your head already? I already know what's going to happen! Getting close with someone and trying to become strong together will hold you back in the end! That Eevee requires relying on people, which means it'll will never be strong enough to defeat me!"

"Shut up!" Justin shouted at the top of his lungs. Aly and Lyra felt the power of his voice and feelings in that remark. Justin's voice was so powerful that Eevee snapped out of its confused state to look back at its trainer.

"Just because Eevee didn't meet your expectations, doesn't give you the right to say those things about it. Pokémon have feelings too…and what you're saying is really hurtful. Ever since I met Eevee, we've been working together to overcome obstacles, win gym battles and become strong together. Eevee has been one of the cornerstones to my success as a trainer so far. You have no idea how much Eevee…and all my other Pokémon mean to me!"

Eevee looked back at its trainer in awe where it started to tear up.

"I come from a place where no Pokémon were found. I didn't have a Pokémon to start my journey. And then, after I saved Eevee from you, she became my first Pokémon and partner! No matter what happens, Eevee will always have a special place in my heart! By working together, we'll become a stronger team….strong enough to defeat you!"

The words got to Eevee so much that it instantly got up from the ground, let out a determined cry and started to glow brightly.

"Eevee?!" Justin said surprised.

"It's evolving!" Lyra remarked.

The glowing silhouette of Eevee became to change shape. It became taller and thinner while its ears grew bigger and pointed out rather than up. The tail became thinner and a red gem formed at its forehead. The evolution was complete as the glowing light surround Eevee burst into the air, revealing its new lilac coloured form.

"Esp-ee!" The Pokémon cried out.

"…No…Way…." Justin stuttered from the sight.

"Interesting…" Ron remarked.

Justin was trying to hold back his excitement in front of Ron, but couldn't do so anymore.

"WOWWW! EEVEE EVOLVED INTO AN ESPEON!" Justin gleefully shouted out loud.

"That's so cool!" Aly said.

"It's gotta be more powerful too! Now it can take down that Magmar!" Lyra added.

"What do you have to say Ron? It's awesome that Eevee was able to evolve into an Espeon!" Justin exclaimed.

"It's still the same Pokémon as far as I'm concerned. Even with evolution, it will never succeed or defeat me." Ron retorted.

Espeon began to hiss at Ron. It seemed to have found a new sense of confidence and determination from the evolution. Justin could see that it was stronger both physically and mentally.

"We'll see about that! Let's go Espeon!"

"Esp!" Espeon cried out. It then leaned forward and released a coloured beam from the gemstone on its head towards Magmar. The attack hit right on and knocked the fire type Pokémon hard onto its back, dealing a good amount of damage.

"Wow! That was Psybeam! Great work Espeon!" Justin called out. Espeon looked back and nodded at its trainer.

"Magmar, get up!" Ron yelled out. Magmar then slowly got up to its feet and back into a battle stance.

"I have to see this attack again! Psybeam!" Justin commanded.

Espeon released another Psybeam attack right at Magmar. The fire type Pokémon raised its arms in a cross to block the attack, but slid a few feet back.

"SO COOL! ANOTHER PSYBEAM!"

Espeon leaned forward and shot another coloured beam from the gem on its head towards Magmar.

"He could win this now!" Aly said.

"I don't know anymore." Lyra replied back.

"What do you mean?"

"Look at the guy. He's so excited about Espeon's evolution that he's not thinking about winning anymore. He's too much in awe with the Psybeam attack. Sooner or later, Ron is going to find a way to counter."

"Justin! C'mon focus!" Aly yelled out to her friend, who wasn't paying attention at all.

"This is totally rad! The attack looks so powerful yet beautiful!" Justin yelled out.

"Heh, you're unbelievable." Ron smirked.

"What?"

"You're so giddy right now that you've lost concentration of this battle. You can't keep using the same attack and not expect your opponent to figure a way to counter."

Justin then realized what he had been going on. He was so caught up with the excitement of Espeon evolving that his mindset left winning the battle.

"Magmar, Feint Attack and Fire Punch!" Ron commanded.

Magmar sucker punched the incoming psybeam attack, which created a light that illuminated brightly and blinded Espeon and Justin's sight. Just as they both opened their eyes, Magmar appeared right in front of Espeon and swung its fire punch right at the Psychic type Pokémon, sending it into the air.

"Espeon no!" Justin called out.

"End it with Flamethrower!" Ron yelled.

Magmar took a deep breath before releasing a devastating stream of fire at Espeon, creating a large smoke explosion upon impact. Espeon then dropped from the smoke and landed hard on the ground, letting out a faint cry that signalled its inability to battle anymore.

"And that…is game over." Ron remarked.

Justin was shaking in shock as he looked on at his defeated Pokémon lying on the ground. He then quickly rushed over to his Pokémon and carried it in his arms. Espeon was a little heavier than its previous stage Eevee, but that didn't stop Justin.

"Espeon….are you….ok?"

"….Esp…." Espeon cried out faintly.

"I'm so sorry Espeon…..I….."

"That's another flaw with you as well." Ron said as he walked up to Justin.

"You lose concentration easily when something exciting happens. It's quite odd that you still have 3 badges despite being like this. It's only going to get harder from here. You're going to have to figure it out yourself how to settle down and focus when it matters."

Justin looked down at Espeon as he thought about Ron's words.

"You're right…." He muttered quietly.

"I told you that relying on others and teamwork holds you back. I say this because I've made the same mistake before. While it's impressive that Eevee evolved into Espeon, it still doesn't change the fact that it's weak and will never defeat me. Once it can do that, maybe I'll reconsider its worth."

With that, Ron returned his Magmar to its Pokeball and walked away.

"Wait Ron. Will you tell me what happened? Maybe I can help?" Justin called out. Ron didn't respond and kept on walking. Aly and Lyra waited for Ron to leave before running to their friend's side.

"Justin, are you ok?" Lyra asked.

"I'm sorry you lost Justin." Aly said.

"It's ok. It's my fault things ended like this. I couldn't contain my excitement that I lost track of the battle. And poor Espeon paid the price for it." Justin looked down to see Espeon looking up at him.

"But it's ok. We're going to be all right. We'll work hard and eventually beat Ron. Right Espeon?"

"…..Esp….." Espeon muttered quietly as it looked away from its trainer. A tear began to roll down one of its eyes.

"Espeon? What's wrong?"

Espeon made its way out of Justin's arms and sat on the ground, its eyes now covered in tears. Justin pulled his Pokémon back and embraced it tightly.

"Don't cry Espeon…." Justin began to tear up as well.

"I promise…I promise we'll beat him. We'll do it together…"

_**Review if you have anything to say. Special shout out to Talarc, WyldClaw and WesRoYaL for their reviews. Be sure to check out their stories too!**_


	23. Chapter 23 - Eggs-ellent Opportunity

_**A/N: Hello all. This chapter should have been out this past weekend. Nonetheless, here it is.**_

**Chapter 23: Eggs-ellent Opportunity**

"Finally! We've reached Granite Town!" Aly and Lyra exclaimed excitedly.

After an eventful few days, the 2 girls and Justin Riser made their way through Route 404 to Granite Town. The town was actually pretty big compared to the other towns visited. For one, there were more than just homes and small supermarkets residing in the area. A few big name corporations such as Poke-Tab and Poke-Radio had small subsidiaries stationed here to do business. The general colour scheme for was a light grey colour, giving off an old-fashion, but safe atmosphere to the town. Justin, Aly and Lyra walked through the entrance and began to make their way to the Pokémon centre.

"When we get to the centre, I'm going to have a nice shower and nice nap!" Lyra said.

"Plus a big meal too. Give me a break from cooking. Oh, we also have to get supplies while we're here too!" Aly replied back.

The 2 girls looked back at Justin, who had a blank expression on his face. He was deep in thought before realizing his friends looking at him.

"Oh…um yeah. It'll be nice to relax for a bit…" Justin said.

"Justin, are you sure you're ok?" Lyra asked.

"You've been acting strange ever since that battle with Ron. You didn't say a word all the way to this town…and that's weird considering you're usually yapping all the time." Aly added.

"Well, I'm just concerned about Espeon right now. It took a beating after evolving and wanting to beat Ron in that battle. It also seemed to be very sad and upset after, putting itself down when it was my fault we lost. I haven't seen her cry like that ever since our first encounter. I'm really worried about her. My focus now is going to the Pokémon Centre and giving Espeon some rest."

The girls looked at him with an understanding expression.

"I'm sure Espeon will be ok Justin." Aly stated.

"Agreed. C'mon guys, let's get a move on." Lyra said. All 3 of them nodded and continued down the street towards the Centre. They walked down a few streets and intersections before reaching a small Pokémon Centre building. Inside was the same usual layout for any Pokémon Centre, starting with Nurse Joy behind the front desk.

"Hello Nurse Joy, could you look after our Pokémon?" Justin asked.

"Why of course. Just leave it to me." Nurse Joy replied happily. The trainers reached for their belts, grabbed their Pokeballs and placed them into the trays on the desk. Joy's assistant Chansey came out from the side doors and carried the trays back through them.

"Does it feel weird not to have Eevee out? She's usually on your shoulder." Aly remarked.

"Well, she's a new Pokémon now, and a lot bigger. I'll probably have to do some lifting if I want Espeon on my shoulder." Justin replied. All of them had a small laugh before walking towards the Centre's lounge. Just then, something caught the attention of Lyra.

"Hey guys, check this out!" Lyra exclaimed. Justin and Aly walked over to a bulletin board that Lyra was staring at. She pointed at a flyer posted that read "Granite Town Eggs-ellent Pokémon Challenge!"

"It says there's a Pokémon challenge happening this evening. It will involve battling and baking. The battling is a normal Pokémon battle tournament, while the cooking portion is baking competition for Pokémon sweets. 16 competitors are allowed for battling while 10 are for baking. The winners will receive a Pokémon egg donated from a local breeding ranch." Lyra explained.

"You and Justin should totally take part in the battling tournament!" Aly suggested.

"What about you? Are you going to do it too? Or the baking competition?" Lyra replied.

"Well, I think the baking. I really enjoy baking sweets, so it might be fun. Don't know if I'll win."

"When are you going to battle again?"

"Umm…that's up for me to decide…" Aly said nervously.

"…hmm, fair enough. Whatevs. You'll do great in the baking competition! How about you Justin?" Lyra stated.

Justin refocused his attention on the girls, who were looking at him with suspicious looks again.

"Uh sure. I'm always down for a battle..." He replied in a fake excited voice.

"I definitely think you should do this Justy!" Aly said.

"Yeah?"

"Sure, Pokémon battles and having fun is what you go for. Plus, this might be a perfect opportunity to cheer Espeon up."

"…Yeah, I guess you're right. Let's do this!"

Justin, Aly and Lyra registered in the nick of time for their respective competitions. Nurse Joy returned all the Pokeballs to the 3 trainers and showed them to their rooms for that night. Justin got his own while Aly and Lyra requested to get a bigger room to share. Justin was in his room sitting on the soft bed, looking down at his Pokeballs, thinking about the battle with Ron again. He then threw his Pokeballs in the air and out came Combusken, Mudkip, Gible and Espeon.

"Hey guys, I'd like to introduce you to Espeon. Eevee evolved during our last battle." Justin explained to Combusken, Mudkip and Gible. All 3 looked over at the lilac psychic Pokémon and let out a happy cry saying hello. Espeon smiled slightly before looking the other way with a sad expression on its face.

"Um…anyways, there's a Pokémon battle competition happening in the town. I think it'll be a great way to get more practise in for our next gym battle. What do you guys say?"

Combusken, Mudkip and Gible cried out in agreement with determined looks on their faces. Justin then looked over at Espeon, who was still lying down and facing the other way.

"Espeon, are you still bummed about the defeat to Ron." He asked.

The Psychic Pokémon looked over at its trainer for moment, then turned the other way. Justin saw the sadness it must have been feeling from that defeat. Even after evolving, it still wasn't able to defeat the person who just abandoned it. Justin moved closer to it on the bed and began to stroke its fur.

"Hey girl, I know you really wanted to beat Ron. It's my fault we didn't win so don't take it too hard. But, we should get some training in so we're ready for the next time we face him. Ok?"

Espeon looked up at its trainer once more before reluctantly nodding in agreement.

"Thanks pal. We'll get stronger together."

"Esp…"

"Anyways, we'll be battling 4 times if we manage to reach the finals. Here's what I was thinking for an order…"

Justin, Aly and Lyra left the Pokémon Centre to meet at the Town Square for the big event. It was an open circle in the middle of the town with tons of people present. The sky was bright orange as the evening began to set in. There were people gathered in a crowd before the stage, while others sat on the chairs of coffee shops and restaurants patios surrounding the circle. In the middle was a massive stage that had decorations, a podium, curtains and electronic equipment stationed all around. The 3 trainers made their way to the crowd that surrounded the stage. After a few minutes of waiting, an older man with a thick beard walked up to the podium and grabbed the microphone.

"Hello Granite Town! Welcome to this month's Eggs-ellent Pokémon Challenge!" The man announced. Everyone in the audience cheered or clapped at a respectable level.

"I hope you're all doing well today. As most of you know, my name is Charles, and I'll be the MC for the night. Tonight's competitions will include the traditional battling and baking events. The winners of each will receive these Pokémon Eggs generously donated from a local Pokémon Breeding Ranch down south. Everyone give them a round of applause!"

Everyone in the crowd gave a warm applause to the shout out.

"Now, without further ado, let's commence the first event. Pokémon Baking!" Charles announced as he pointed backwards. The curtains began to slide away, revealing a large number of cooking stations that had all sorts of essential materials and ingredients needed for baking.

"Now, I would like all of our participants to make their way on stage and choose a station!"

"Good luck Aly!" Lyra said.

"Aly, I know you can do it." Justin stated.

"I'll try my best." Aly replied. With that, Aly began to make her way up the stage with all the other participants.

There were 6 girls and 3 guys who were also competing. Some notable characters included a girl with long blonde hair who looked to be the oldest in the group, another girl who probably spent all her time doing otaku things, and a boy who looked like he was 7 years old.

"Now, here are the rules!" Charles announced as he brought out a piece of paper. "Participants are required to bake 1 of 2 things: Pokémon Poffins or Poke-puffs. Your sweets will be judged by our celebrity judge and Pokémon announced later. You will all have 30 minutes to perform your work. We will then take a 10 minute break in between before the judging commences. Everyone understand?"

Aly and all the other participants nodded in agreement.

"Well, without further ado. Commence the baking event!"

"Now Squirtle, I need you to mix these ingredients. Vulpix, could you please heat the container a bit with a small flamethrower?" Aly asked her Pokémon, who she let out to help her bake.

Squirtle and Vulpix smiled before performing their assigned duties. 15 minutes had already passed since the starting buzzer went off where all of the competitors continued to work on their creations.

"…I guess I should probably add a couple of Sitrus berries to make give it that extra sweetness. But, I need to make it somewhat nutritional too. But, adding a Leppa berry would take away the sweetness. Hmm…"

Aly stirred the contents in a pot that was boiling before going back into her notebook. After a few pages, she had a "eureka" moment and found a solution.

"Aha! This is the mixture"

The final minutes began to count down as Aly and all of the other participants wrapped up there prep work. Once the timer reached zero, the buzzer went off again, signalling the end of the first stage.

"All right! Time is up! Everyone stop what you're doing! We will now have a 10 minute intermission before the judgement commences. Take this time to grab a bite or drink to consume. See you all in 10!" Charles the MC announced. Everyone on stage put away their materials and made their way off the stage. Aly put back a spatula in the holder and faced her Pokémon, who were standing on the counter.

"Thanks for your help guys." She said before recalling them back into their Pokeballs. She then walked off the stage and met Justin and Aly near a lamppost.

"So, how'd it go?" Lyra asked.

"Pretty good actually. I made my recipe based on the treats I make for all the Pokémon we have. I thought I was going to be more nervous, but thinking of all our Pokémon really calmed me down and let me just bake." Aly explained.

"I'm sure you'll be fine." Justin added

"I hope so, thanks." The 3 trainers chatted a little more until the buzzer went off again, signalling the end of intermission and judgement round. Aly made her way back on stage with all the other contestants and stood back at their stations. All of their food were moved to a table placed downstage. Charles the MC walked back to the podium and picked up the mic. The crowd hushed to a silence and awaited his speech

"Thank you all for waiting. As you can see, we have placed all of the competitor's treats on this here table. Now, I'd like to introduce our celebrity judge! You may know him from various cooking shows on TV. Please join me in welcoming one of Minero's top Pokémon Treat Connoisseurs, Allan the Sweets Master!"

The crowd applauded and cheered really loudly as a tall man with blonde hair tied in a man bun wearing a black suit walked on the stage, waving at the crowd. He had movie star looks and a certain "je ne sais quoi" with his aura. All of the females in the crowd and stage ogled him with admiration. The connoisseur made his way to Charles, shook his hand and accepted the microphone from him.

"My, my. What a crowd here in Granite Town. You guys are truly one of the more lively crowds I've seen." Allan announced. The entire crowd cheered loudly after that remark.

"Oh please, I think you should all save your applause for these competitors who have worked so hard in preparing their sweets. Well, without further ado, let's commence the judgement. I will now call on my partners to help me. So, come on out!"

Allan threw 2 Pokeballs into the air and released Pokémon onto the stage. One was a fox-like Pokémon with golden-white fur and nine tails. Another was a cream-coloured serpentine Pokémon with a red &amp; blue patterned tail and red hair-like fins.

"Meet my partners Ninetails and Milotic!" Allan announced. The Pokémon bowed their heads while the people in the audience went nuts for the beautiful Pokémon.

"Now that they're out, it's time for taste testing!"

Allan and his Pokémon went down the table tasting all the baked goods. The connoisseur made an effort to point out the positives of all the treats while sugar coating any low points. The first 9 people were more less the same rating, all Poke-Puffs that were pretty good with flavour and design. Last was Aly, who became a lot more nervous on stage.

"Next, we have Aly Eatos' Pokémon Poffins to try. My, it's been awhile since we've seen Poffins. But, I'm sure they're going to be great." Allan announced. He took 3 poffins from the tray and handed one to each Ninetails and Mitotic. All three of them took a bite of the deserts and began their judgement. Aly gulped and closed her eyes as she nervously awaited the feedback of her Pokémon Poffins.

"Hmm, this is fascinating." Allan remarked. Aly opened her eyes on as he heard the connoisseur's words.

"The right amount of sweetness with the right texture. It gives me this warm, nostalgic feeling of my momma's home-baked sweets that I love. This poffin may be one of the greatest I've ever tasted. " The crowd gasped loudly before cheering at his latest words. Milotic and Ninetails were smiling contently as they ate more of Aly's poffins. She then looked to her and left and right to see the other competitors clapping for her. She blushed slightly and waved at the crowd. Allan then walked over to Aly.

"Young lady. Aly. Could you tell us a little more about this delightful creation?" He asked.

"Um…well…I just mixed Oran and Rawst berries together. But, I also used a Salac berry to reduce the bitterness and add some nutritional value to the poffin. It's not just the sweet taste, but also about the health benefits for your Pokémon as well." Aly stated nervously. Allan nodded and smiled at her.

"Thank you Aly." He then turned around and walked back to the centre stage.

"Now, I think it's time to announce our winners." Allan looked at his Pokémon, who nodded right back.

"The winner of Granite Town's Eggs-ellent Baking challenge…is Aly Eatos!"

The crowd cheered and applauded loudly as confetti rained down onto the stage. Aly just stood in her spot, still trying to take in what had just happened. All of the other competitors clapped for her as well. Charles the MC and Allan signalled for her to come down stage.

"I…I won…"

"Congratulations Aly. That was some fine work you did there. Keep up the good work." Allan smiled.

"As your prize, here is a Pokémon egg generously donated from a local ranch. Be sure to take care of it." Charles stated. A woman in a dress came out holding a small incubator carrying a pinkish egg and handed it over to Aly.

"Um…thank you." Aly said as she graciously accepted her prize.

"Folks, the baking challenge is now completed! Thank you to all who participated today! Our next competition is the Battle challenge! We will now take a 20 minute intermission to clear the stage. The night is still young, so be prepared to watch some intense battles!" Charles announced.

Aly made her way back to Justin and Lyra to show off her prize. A couple of people passed by and congratulated her for winning.

"Awesome job Aly, I knew you could do it!" Lyra said as she hugged Aly from behind.

"Heh, thanks Lyra. I think I just got lucky." Aly replied.

"Ah, give yourself more credit for once! You earned it!"

"I'm expecting some five-star meals from now on Aly. Don't disappoint me!" Justin remarked.

"With that attitude, you'll be lucky to get one meal." Aly replied with some sass.

"Hey!"

The 3 trainers shared a good laugh before going to get some food to eat before the battle challenge. They all ordered their food and found a bench to sit and eat. Aly had the egg chamber carefully resting on her lap.

"So, are you both ready for this competition?" Aly asked.

"Hells yeah. This tournament is going to be fun!" Lyra exclaimed excitedly.

"Justy?"

"Yeah, sure…" Justin replied hesitantly.

"That doesn't sound like a Justin response." Lyra quickly pointed out.

"Still worried about Espeon?" Aly asked.

"Yeah. While we were resting in our rooms back at the Centre, Espeon was pretty bummed. But, I'm sure a good battle will help cheer it up." Justin explained.

"Espeon is a lot like you in that it gets pumped of for battles. I'm sure it'll get through to her."

"You're right." Justin then looked over at Lyra. "Let's both meet in the finals Lyra, yeah?

"You've got it!" Lyra said as they both shook hands.

"Thank you for waiting! It's not time for the second completion: Granite Town's Eggs-ellent Pokémon Battle Challenge!" Charles the MC announced. The cheering and applause was super loud due to a bigger crowd in attendance for this event. The sky was now dark and void of sun, but there were many stage lights illuminating the area. The stage was cleared of all the cooking stations and replaced with a white outlines on the floor, indicating the boundaries of a battlefield. A big monitor began to descend from the top of the stage.

"Now, we have randomly selected the matchups for this tournament. Please look at the monitor to find out who you'll be facing."

Everyone turned their attention to the monitor as the screen turned out, showing a draw table of 16 with the names of the competitors at the bottom of the lines. Justin's name was all the way on the left while Lyra was on the far right.

"Looks like we'll be able to face each other in the finals if we make it." Justin said to Lyra

"Now, let's start with the 2 competitors on the very left of the draw. Justin Riser and Leonard Lee, you guys are up!" Charles said.

Justin nodded as he made his way to the stage, up the stairs and took a side in the battlefield. A few minutes later, another boy with short brown hair, wearing a brown sweater and jeans came up to take the other side. It was Leonard, Justin's first opponent.

"Hey man, good luck." The boy shouted out.

"Same buddy." Justin called back. A battle judge came from stage right and walked to the side of the battlefield.

"This will be a 1 on 1 Pokémon battle. It will be over once one trainer's Pokémon is unable to battle. Let's have a fair and exciting battle!" The judge announced.

"All right. Espeon, its battle time!" Justin cried out as he threw a Pokeball into the air. The ball opened and out came the lilac psychic Pokémon onto the battlefield.

"Esp…" Espeon cried out softly, having a dull expression on its face again. Justin saw this and instantly became worried.

"Nice Pokémon. Now meet mine!" Leonard called out as he released his Pokémon. It was a familiar fire type Pokémon with flame design on its body, a puckered yellow beak with small eyes, and a tail that had a flame on its tip.

"Mag!" The Pokémon cried out. Justin and Espeon's eyes widened, not believing what was in front of them.

"It's….It's a…Magmar." Justin said stunned. Espeon stared at the fire type Pokémon as memories of its last battle began to resurface. The psychic type Pokémon began to tremble, its eyes showing fear and uncertainty.

"It's ok Espeon. This is a different Magmar, not Ron's. We have to focus on the battle here!" Justin called out. Espeon didn't appear to hear Justin, as its mind was somewhere else.

"Um…is your Pokémon ok?" Leonard asked.

"Oh…um, yeah. Don't worry about it. Let's get started!" Justin exclaimed.

"Well, now that the 2 Pokémon are out, let the battle begin!"

**_Remember to review if you have any feedback._**


	24. Chapter 24 - Stronger

_**A/N: **__**Due to a combination of other priorities, writer's block and lack of commitment, I only managed to finish this chapter now. So sorry for the wait. I seem to be back into this, so it shouldn't be too long before the next update. Just a heads up: After the upload of Chapter 25, I'm going to go back and re-edit older chapters.**_

**Chapter 24 – Stronger**

"Espeon. It's ok. It's not Ron's Magmar. Right now, we have to focus. This will be good training for our next gym battle! C'mon, let's show them what we're made of and have fun!" Justin called out.

The words went in one of Espeon's ears and out the other. Mixed emotions were going through the psychic Pokemon's mind while there was uncertainty in its eyes. It wasn't long before it just looked down at the ground and began sulking again.

"Now, let the battle begin!" The battle judge yelled.

"I don't know what the deal with your Espeon is, but it's time for battle! Magmar, use Flamethrower!" Leonard shouted.

"Mag!" The Magmar cried out as it unleashed a red, hot stream of fire towards Espeon.

"Espeon! Counter it with Psybeam!" Justin commanded.

Espeon did not move all. It was still sulking, looking like it didn't care about the battle at all. The flamethrower was quickly making its way over towards it.

"ESPEON!" Justin shouted. His voice finally got through to Espeon, who looked up and just realized it was under attack.

Espeon quickly jumped to its left to try and dodge the attack. Unfortunately, part of its tail got hit by the flamethrower, causing the psychic Pokémon to grimace in pain a little.

"Are you ok?" Justin asked.

Espeon gave no answer to its trainer. It just slowly stood up and began observing its tail, which had char marks on it from the last attack.

"Ok….don't answer me then…."

"Magmar, follow it up with hidden power!" Leonard commanded.

Magmar formed green coloured orbs that floated in the air and shot them towards Espeon.

"Espeon. Shadow ball!" Justin commanded.

Espeon just looked at its tail from the last attack. Before it realized it was under attack again, it was too late where the hidden power made contact and created a smoke explosion. Espeon was sent backwards out of the smoke clouds and landed hard onto the ground.

"Earth to Espeon! I know you're upset but you can just do nothing! Just battle already, you'll feel better!" Justin exclaimed a little more forcefully. Espeon slowly got up with the same sad expression and faced Magmar.

"Now, use quick attack!"

"Esp…"Espeon muttered softly as it began to charge at Magmar. The psychic Pokémon started off really slowly before picking it up, but nowhere near the speed it was capable of. Meanwhile, Leonard didn't order Magmar to dodge or attack. It wasn't long before Espeon finally made its way to Magmar and tackled it in the mid-section.

"Yes! There you go!" Justin called out.

Espeon gasped at its last attempt of a quick attack. Suddenly, there was some stress lifted from its expression. It quickly looked up to see what the damage was from the attack. Unfortunately, there was only the sight of Magmar smirking right at it.

"Is that really the best you got? Magmar, knock it away with Fire Punch." Leonard sneered.

Magmar drew back its fist, which became surrounded by flames, before launching it right at Espeon's face. The Fire Punch sent Espeon flying to the side where it landing hard on the ground, dealing a good amount of damage to the psychic type Pokemon.

""_I don't understand. Espeon should be back to normal now. She enjoys battling just as much as I do, yet she's not even trying. I told Espeon it wasn't her fault against Ron. Why can't she just get over it already?"_ Justin thought. He then prepared his next move.

"Get up Espeon! Use your psybeam!" Justin commanded.

Espeon got up slowly and faced Magmar. The jewel on its forehead jewel on its forehead began to glow as it prepared its attack. Suddenly, Espeon caused it to have a flashback to its last battle with Ron and his Magmar. In the road down memory lane, the Fire Pokémon threw a fire punch straight at Espeon's face, knocking backwards and essentially out of the battle. The glow on Espeon's jewel began to fade; the depressed expression came back on its face.

"Magmar, use flamethrower!" Leonard commanded.

Magmar released another hot flamethrower attack at Espeon, who didn't move and just took the attack. It sent the psychic Pokémon backwards, landing hard on the ground.

"Espeon! What's with you?! I don't understand what's going on! Get up and fight!" Justin shouted with more frustration and anger this time. Espeon got up slowly with an even more saddened expression. The crowd began to talk amongst themselves.

"Man that Espeon isn't putting up much of a fight." One person said.

"Could you blame it? Its trainer is being pretty hard on it. No wonder it doesn't want to battle." Another person said.

Everyone was either giving him dirty looks or gossiping about him.

"This is not good. Espeon doesn't seem to have the will to battle anymore, and it's causing Justin to lose it." Lyra explained.

"I really thought Espeon would feel better getting back into a battle. But, it's not like Justin's handling the situation well." Aly added. "Do you think it's my fault?"

"Of course not. You were just trying to help out. It's Justin right now who's making this worse. It's pretty out-of-character of him to be like this, losing his cool and all. Being like this isn't going to help Espeon."

Justin heard murmurs coming from the crowd and look in their direction.

"_Are they talking about me?" _He thought to himself. A large bang caught his attention, which made him look back towards the battle. Espeon had just been attacked by another fire punch and landed right in front of Justin.

"Espeon, what the hell! This battle should have cheered you up by now! I'm not understanding you at all!" He shouted.

"Dude, you need to chill!" Leonard called out. Justin looked back up at him.

"What did you say?!"

"Why are you being like this to your Pokémon? It looks sad and depressed, and your yelling isn't helping the cause."

"I…it's because…"

"Do you act like this all the time with your Pokémon? No wonder Espeon looks so down, having to deal with you all the time."

"No…I…" Justin stuttered as he struggled to find words.

"Seriously, what kind of trainer are you?"

Justin froze up at that remark. It was the exact same question he asked Ron back at their battle awhile back. He started to think about the way he was acting towards Espeon. All of his frustrated retorts and yelling, they sounded exactly like something Ron would do if he didn't get his way. The crowd began to talk even louder, gossiping about the accusations made by Leonard. Justin looked at the crowd and began to sweat. He then looked back at Espeon, who had just got back up from the last attack.

"…Espeon…"

He observed his Pokemon's expression a bit more closely. Espeon clearly didn't look like it was enjoying itself. In fact, it looked worse and even more depressed. It didn't take long for Justin to realize how quickly he had changed during the battle.

"Don't worry, I'll put an end to this battle and you'll have all the time to reflect on your behaviour." Leonard exclaimed.

"Now Magmar, use your feint attack!"

"Mag-mar!" Magmar roared loudly before disappearing into thin air. Justin, Espeon and crowd gasped as the fire type Pokémon vanished from their eyes. It wasn't long before Magmar re-appeared on Espeon's right and sucker punched it across the face, sending it into the air.

"Espeon, no!" Justin cried out. After flying up, Espeon began to descend to the ground.

"Now! Finish this with Fire Punch!" Leonard ordered.

Magmar's fist became engulfed in flames and began running towards the falling Espeon. Justin looked on as he saw his partner falling down, going to receive a fire punch and lose yet another battle.

"ESPEON!" He yelled out.

The fire punch made contact with Espeon, creating a big smoke explosion upon impact. The psychic Pokémon dropped to the ground with small fire flares travelling along its body. Its eyes were closed, no longer having the strength to battle anymore. It was over for Espeon, and Justin.

"Espeon is unable to battle. This means that the victory goes to Magmar and Leonard!" The battle judge called out.

"And with that, the first battle has officially ended with Leonard being the winner. He will move on to the second round!" Charles the MC announced. The crowd began applauding respectably towards the victors Leonard and Magmar, who both responded with a bow.

Justin ran up to his defeated Pokémon and carried it into his arms. Espeon was covered in scratches and char marks from the fire attacks. Its eyes were still closed, knocked unconscious from the battle.

"Espeon…I…?" Justin whispered to his Pokémon.

Leonard recalled his Magmar and walked up to Justin.

"I suggest taking your Pokémon to the Pokémon Centre for treatment." Leonard remarked before walking away off the stage. Justin slowly got up and made his way down the stage as well. People in the crowd just stared at him, backing away as he made his way through the crowd. They began to whisper to each other about the battle and Justin's treatment towards Espeon. Justin just kept his head down while running, trying to avoid eye contact and get out of their sight as soon as possible.

Aly and Lyra saw him running away and began to follow him.

* * *

"Please Nurse Joy, could you treat my Espeon?" Justin begged.

"Sure, you can count on me." Nurse Joy happily responded. She took Espeon's Pokeball from Justin's hands and walked down the hall into the treatment room. Justin walked towards the glass window nearby and watched Nurse Joy release Espeon from its ball onto the hospital bed before starting the treatment. The battle competition was still on going at the town square with its second round match, but Justin was only focused on Espeon's health.

"What happened to me back there?" He murmured to himself.

Justin began to reminisce about the battle that had just occurred between him and Leonard. Even though he sensed Espeon's doubt, he felt that a good first round battle would help cheer her up. As the battle went on with Espeon still in the same state, it frustrated Justin that his Pokémon didn't get over its trauma right away. He felt that like him, all Espeon needed was a good fun battle to instantly get over it. But that certainly wasn't the case, leaving Justin to really try and connect with Espeon and explore her feelings.

"I was such a fool to get frustrated with Espeon during the match. I definitely could have handled that situation better."

For a good 10 minutes, Justin made his brain work. He went further down memory lane to his battle with Ron and Magmar. The moment where Espeon evolved from Eevee, he noticed the Pokémon developed a great boost of confidence in itself to win. Even so, the outcome of the battle wasn't in Justin's and Espeon's favour. After that battle, that's where Espeon began to act strange and depressed.

"Hmm…it started with that, so maybe…" Justin said to himself.

"Justin!" A voice called.

Justin turned around to find his friends Aly and Lyra running through the Pokémon Centre doors and towards him.

"How's Espeon?" Aly asked.

"She's in the operating room now being treated by Nurse Joy." Justin replied.

"Oh, that's good…"

An awkward silence fell over the room.

"So…um, are you ok?" Aly asked.

"What do you think?" Justin replied bluntly.

"Oh…I'm sorry…."

"…No, I'm sorry Aly. That was rude of me."

"What were you thinking back there in that battle Justin?! That was pretty out of character for you." Lyra remarked out of nowhere.

"Lyra, don't…" Aly intervened.

"It's ok Aly. She's right, I let my frustration out on Espeon and made a fool of myself. Worse of all, I didn't try to understand Espeon's feelings at all. I was a horrible trainer tonight." Justin said.

"…Well, at least you recognized what you did." Lyra said.

"I'm sorry Justin. I feel at fault for telling you that the battle might help Espeon get over its depressed state." Aly mentioned.

"Don't worry about it Aly. You were just trying to help." Justin replied.

"See. I told you Aly. There's no need to worry." Lyra remarked.

"I guess. I still want to know what's up with Espeon though. I sure hope its ok." Aly said.

"Me too. What do you think Justin?"

"Well, I've been thinking about it since I got here. But, I think I'm beginning to understand what's going on with Espeon right now." Justin said.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I thought about began to think about our battle with Ron on Route 404. When Espeon was still an Eevee, it battled real hard and gave it everything it got despite Ron's Magmar being a bit stronger. It eventually found the strength to evolve and become a more powerful Espeon, where it was ready to finally shut Ron up and gain a little respect from the guy. However, due to my clumsiness, we ended up losing that battle. I think that crushed Espeon. Even though it reached the next evolution state, Espeon still lost and caused it to probably doubt itself. That battling to become stronger may be pointless if it can never overcome Ron. Anyways, that's my conclusion."

"I can see that being the case. Poor Espeon." Aly replied.

"That's really tough to hear…" Lyra added.

"Unfortunately yes. Espeon is a proud Pokémon who loves battling and having fun just as much as I do. However, I guess Espeon is a little more sensitive to those sorts of things and takes losing more personally than I do." Justin explained.

"It's like we say, Pokémon have all sorts of different personalities. But, it's up to trainers to connect with their Pokémon to truly be one and get through challenges."

"You're right Lyra. And now, I think I know a way to help Espeon out."

"Well, you're the only one who can do it Justin. And I know you'll make things right." Aly smiled.

"Thanks Aly. I'll do my best." Justin smiled back.

"Well, Aly and I will give you some alone time with Espeon. Besides, I got to get back to the Town Square so I don't miss my battle." Lyra said.

"I gotcha. Good Luck Lyra. See you soon Aly."

Both girls smiled and nodded before walking out the Pokémon Centre doors. Justin turned around and walked back to the glass window overlooking the treatment room. It seemed as though Nurse Joy was doing last minute duties before the treatment was complete. Espeon looked to be a little more at ease while sleeping. A couple of minutes later, Nurse Joy pulled a blanket over Espeon before walking out of the treatment room. Justin ran up to her the moment she came out.

"So, how's my Espeon Nurse Joy?" He asked worriedly.

"Espeon was pretty worn out, but should make a full recovery with some rest." Nurse Joy explained.

Justin breathed a deep sigh of relief. He looked back at Nurse Joy and expressed his gratitude before walking into the treatment room to see Espeon. His Pokémon, who was laying on the medical bed in a half conscious state, noticed its trainer walk up to it.

"Hey Espeon, how are you feeling?" Justin asked softly.

"Esp.…." The Psychic Pokémon replied weakly.

"Let's just take it easy for now. I'll stay with you until you get better."

"Espee…" Espeon turned around and faced the opposite direction of its trainer. Justin let out a sigh. He expected something like this to happen. But, he was determined to make things right.

"Espeon, I wanted to say I'm sorry for the way I acted and treated you during that battle. I had no right to shout at you for something you didn't want to do." Justin said sincerely. Espeon eyes widened at the apologetic remarks made by its trainer.

"But, I want you to understand this. You can't continue to be like this forever. Not just because you won't be able to battle at a high level anymore, but I hate to see you depressed like this all the time. Seeing someone who I care a lot about suffering and in pain is too hard for me."

Espeon eyes started to sparkle as it Justin's words began to reach its heart.

"And another thing. Just because we can't beat Ron, doesn't mean that trying and battling are pointless. I know you're still really upset about that loss to Magmar, but that's no excuse to just pack it in and give up. What defines our strength is the power of our bond, the way we connect as one. I don't care if we never defeat Ron in a battle. We don't need to match ourselves to him to determine our strength, we just need to try the best we can and give it everything we got every battle!"

Espeon slowly flipped over and faced Justin's direction. Tears began to form in the Pokémon' eyes after its trainer's last remark.

"Oh, no I'm sorry Espeon, I didn't mean to-"

Justin was cut off as Espeon jumped from the bed towards him, forcing Justin to catch the Pokémon in his arms. She began to cuddle against his chest, signalling that Justin's words had connected to her heart. Espeon was definitely a lot heavier than Eevee, but that didn't stop Justin from embracing his Pokémon tightly.

"Espeon….I hope you can forgive me and continue to fight by my side. Because…we're partners….and best friends." Justin whispered as a tear shed from his eye.

Espeon looked up at him, its eyes pouring out tears like Niagara Falls (Canada reference), and smiled.

"Espee." The Psychic Pokemon cried out. It was the first smile Justin had seen from it in a while, which made him happier than ever.

"Welcome back….Espeon."

* * *

Time began to fly by as Justin and Espeon stayed in the recovery room of the Pokémon Centre. Justin let out his other Pokémon Combusken, Mudkip and Gible, who were all relieved to see Espeon out of its depressed state. He later brought over some food from the Centre's cafeteria and had a group dinner with his Pokémon. Justin knew that the battle tournament was still going on, but that didn't stop him from spending quality time with his Pokémon.

"Well everyone, tomorrow we set off to Route 405 and continue our way towards Citrine city. That is where our next gym battle is."

All of his Pokémon nodded at him. Soon after, the door to the room opened and in came 2 familiar female trainers.

"Hey Justin!" Aly exclaimed.

"Hey Aly! Lyra!" Justin cried out.

"How's it going? You've been at this Centre for quite a while now. You know the finals are just about to start." Lyra mentioned.

"Well, my Pokémon and I are waiting for Espeon to get better. Plus, we're having good quality bonding time with each other. Right guys?"

All of his Pokemon cried out in agreement. Aly and Lyra then turned their attention to Espeon on the recovery bed. They noticed that the Pokemon's expression was a lot lighter and happier.

"It seems like Espeon is recovering well." Aly said, who gave a sincere look at Justin.

"I agree. I'm sorry you lost Espeon." Lyra said to the Psychic type Pokémon. Espeon shook her head and smiled, saying it was ok.

"The important thing is that she's doing better now." Justin remarked.

"You're right. You really did it Justin. Just like Aly said and I believed you would…"

"Gahh, stop! You'll make me blush." Justin exclaimed. "By the way, who's in the finals?"

"Well, one of those participants is yours truly!" Lyra smirked.

"Really?!"

"Yep. She won all of her matches no problem. Her and her Pokémon just dominated." Aly added.

"Wow. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that a strong trainer like Lyra is in the finals." Justin said.

"You should come watch it!" Lyra exclaimed.

"Well, I should really be here with Espeon while she recovers…"

"C'mon Justin. Let's go see our friend win. I'm sure Espeon would like that as well." Aly mentioned. Justin looked down and Espeon, who nodded at Aly's comments.

"…All right. Let's go see what Lyra's got!"

* * *

The 3 trainers went back to the town square for the final match of the Pokemon Battle Tournament, where Lyra was one of the finalists. Her opponent was another female trainer named Yuko from Onyx City in Minero. The 2 finalists walked up to the stage towards their sides of the battlefield. The audience began to cheer loudly for both competitors.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. Thank you for waiting. I hope you're all ready for the final battle of our Pokemon Battle tournament this evening!" Charles the MC announced.

"This is the first time you're going to see Lyra battle, isn't it?" Aly asked Justin, who was carrying Espeon in his arms.

"Yup. And from what you said back at the Pokemon Centre, she's pretty good." He replied.

"Just wait and see."

"And now! Let the final match begin!" The battle judge announced.

"All right Eevee! Let's get our battle on!" Lyra shouted as she threw Eevee's Pokeball into the air, which released the Normal Type Pokemon onto the ground.

"Ee-vuie!" Eevee cried out.

"Golduck! Let's do our best!" Yuko said as she threw her Pokeball in the air. Out came a blue duck-like Pokemon with a cream coloured beak and red gem on its forehead.

"Gol!" Golduck quacked.

"All right Eevee! Let's start with a few shadow ball attacks….but aim for the ground!" Lyra commanded.

Eevee jumped in the air, conjured up dark balls of energy and unleashed them towards the ground in the middle of the battlefield. The impact of the attacks created smoke explosions, leaving excess smoke to blanket the field and block Yuko's and Golduck's sight.

"Oh no, we can't see them anymore! Golduck, use water gun and try to hit them!" Yuko commanded.

Golduck inhaled deeply before letting loose a big stream of water from its mouth into the smoke. The velocity of the water cut through the smoke, which cause some of it to dissipate. However, they were unable to hit their target.

"Just as a planned. Eevee! Use quick attack!" Lyra shouted.

From the smoke on Golduck's left, out came Eevee with a quick burst speed and tackled the water type Pokemon on its side, sending it to the right onto the ground.

"Good job Eevee!"

"Vuie!" Eevee cried out happily. Golduck got up quickly and faced its opponent. All the smoke from the last attack finally disappeared.

"Golduck! Use another water gun on Eevee!" Yuko ordered.

"Eevee, counter with your Hidden Power Attack!" Lyra commanded.

Golduck shot out another powerful stream of water from its mouth while Eevee released yellow-green energy balls it formed around itself. Both attacks collided and created yet another smoke explosion in the middle of the battlefield. The crowd cheered loudly as they really got into the battle now. The smoke on the field quickly cleared away. Golduck was the only Pokemon present on the battlefield.

"Wait, where did Eevee go?!" Yuko exclaimed. She then noticed a small hole dug in the ground a few feet in front of Lyra.

"It must have used dig to use a sneak attack again. Golduck, run up to the hole and shoot a water gun attack into it!"

"Gol-duck!" Golduck cried out. It ran up the spot where Eevee dug underground and got its water gun attack ready.

"Gotcha." Lyra smirked, where Yuko then realized it was a trap.

"Eevee, arise and use Iron Tail!" Lyra commanded.

From the ground right behind Golduck, Eevee emerged up with its tail glowing and slammed it hard on Golduck's back. The attack was so strong that the earth caved in slightly where Golduck was pushed down onto.

"Golduck no!" Yuko cried out worriedly. Eevee jumped back to right in front of its trainer.

"Once again, amazing job Eevee!" Lyra complimented.

"Wow…you're right she's pretty good." Justin remarked from the audience to Aly. Espeon looked on in awe at the Lyra's Eevee and its power.

"I told you. This is how it's been like in all of her battles." Aly replied.

"The way she's controlling this battle and getting Yuko to move under her plan is amazing. She's really a powerful trainer. I can only hope to be as strong as she is."

Back on stage, Golduck slowly started to get up from the last attack by Eevee.

"_We're doing really well so far. I've been able to control what Yuko has done this battle so far. I really hope Justin is watching…" _Lyra thought. She looked over to where Justin and Aly were and saw the male trainer gleaming at the stage. He then noticed her looking at him, in which he winked at her while giving a thumbs up. It flustered Lyra a bit and caused her to blush slightly.

"…_Okay, I definitely got to win now…" _She thought while giggling a bit.

"Golduck, let's try your fury swipes!" Yuko commanded. Golduck began to charge at Eevee with its webbed claws raised.

"Eevee, let it come in close." Lyra exclaimed. Eevee nodded as it stood its ground while waiting for the Water Type Pokemon. Just as the claws of Golduck were about to strike, Lyra made her move.

"Quick Attack!" She called out. Eevee catapulted from the ground towards Golduck's midsection, causing the water type Pokemon to stop in its tracks and gag a little.

"Now Shadow Ball up close!"

Eevee created a dark ball of energy and shot it right at Golduck's face, creating a big smoke explosion and sending Golduck all the way back in front of its trainer.

"Golduck, can you go on?" Yuko asked her Pokemon. Golduck let out a weak cry, saying that it could continue.

"…Okay then…use Psychic!" Yuko commanded. Golduck lifted its head off the ground as its eyes glowed a blue colour. A blue outline then surrounded Eevee, in which it began to float in the air.

"Eevee! See if you can break free from the attack! I believe in you! You can do it!" Lyra commanded.

Eevee began to flail around a little, trying to break Golduck's hold. While Lyra and Eevee did their thing, Yuko looked on at Golduck, who was clearly struggling with its attack due to the damage it took this battle. She began to contemplate whether to concede to Lyra and not risk further harm to Golduck. Just then, a bright light caught the side of her eye. As she looked up, Lyra's Eevee began to glow brightly and change shape.

"Well, would you look at this? We are experiencing an evolution in this battle folks!" Charles announced out of nowhere. Eevee's body became taller while its tail was slimmer but pointed out more. When the illumination stopped, a black coloured Pokemon with golden outlines appeared on its ears, tail and legs appeared.

"Umbreon!" The new Pokemon called out.

"Wow Eevee! You evolved into an Umbreon! I'm so proud of you!" Lyra called out joyfully.

"….There is no way we can win now…" Yuko murmured to herself. Because of Umbreon being a dark type, Golduck's psychic attack didn't affect it anymore. The outline surrounding Umbreon disappeared as it dropped to the ground. Golduck's eyes returned to being normal as it began to breathe a lot heavier now. The state it was in was enough for Yuko to make up her mind.

"All right Umbreon! Let's finish this with a new move! Use Assurance!" Lyra commanded. Umbreon howled loudly as it began to charge at Golduck.

"NO STOP!" Yuko cried out. Umbreon stopped in its tracks as it and Lyra looked on with a confused expression.

"Is everything ok?" Lyra asked.

"I concede the match. Golduck is really worn out and too tired to go on. I don't want it to suffer any more damage. Please, you win…" Yuko shouted as she dropped to her knees.

Lyra looked on at her opponent's Pokemon. Golduck was covered in scratches and sweat, it was heavily breathing with one eye shut. She realized that its trainer probably made the right decision for her Pokemon.

"Well, if that's what you feel, then all right." Lyra responded calmly. She then looked at the battle judge, who gave her a nod.

"As per the trainer's request, Golduck is unable to battle anymore. Which means the winner of this match, and the Pokemon Battle tournament is Lyra!"

"There you have it folks! The winner of Granite Town's Pokemon Battle Tournament is Lyra Gardiner!" Charles announced. The crowd began to applaud and cheer loudly for the winners. Lyra ran up to Umbreon and gave her newly evolved Pokemon a big hug. They then turned to the audience and bowed. Lyra then noticed Yuko walk up to her.

"Congratulations." Yuko said.

"Thanks! I hope we can battle again." Lyra replied. Yuko nodded as they both shook each other's hands. Lyra then stepped to her right and positioned her arms to point at Yuko so that crowd can cheer her as well.

"Well, that was pretty cool eh?" Justin said to Aly.

"I know. Evolving like that in the battle to an Umbreon was a sight to see." Aly replied.

"Well, we got ourselves another tough rival. Right Espeon?" Justin looked down at Espeon. The Psychic Pokemon nodded with a determined look. Confetti began to rain down onto the stage as the closing ceremonies for the night commenced.

* * *

Justin, Aly and Lyra were back in at the Pokemon Centre's lounge area sitting on the couches. Espeon and Umbreon were both back in their Pokeballs while Lyra and Aly held the prized Pokemon eggs both of them had won.

"Great stuff there Lyra. You were truly amazing out there." Justin said.

"Oh stop. You're going to make ME blush now." Lyra replied nervously.

"But it's true. The way you commanded that battle was awesome!"

"It's true Lyra. You're on your way to being a really powerful trainer." Aly added.

"Thanks guys, but I couldn't have done it without my Pokemon." Lyra said

"Excuse me Miss Lyra. There's a call for you in the back." Nurse Joy said as she approached the group.

"Coming! Justin, could you hold the egg for me while I take the call?" Lyra asked.

"No problem." Justin replied as he accepted the egg. Lyra then went off with Nurse Joy to the other room.

"From what I saw earlier, you really patched things up with Espeon." Aly remarked as she changed the subject.

"Yeah, I guess I did. And now, we're both ready to battle again and face challenges together." Justin responded.

"I knew you would do it. You seem to have this ability to really connect with other people and Pokemon."

"Well, it certainly wasn't working with that other trainer Leonard, who probably thinks I'm an awful person still…"

"Actually, Lyra and I explained the situation to him. I don't know how convinced he was, but he did admit he probably jumped too quickly to conclusion about you and Espeon." Aly explained.

"Well, I wouldn't blame him if he still wasn't convinced. But, hey, I learned my lesson and vow not to make that mistake with Espeon again. It might be rough in the beginning to help Espeon return to the battling form she once was at, but we're going to work through it together." Justin remarked.

"That's good to hear. I'm proud to be your friend Justy!" Aly smiled. Justin smiled back, blushing a little from the pretty face in front of him.

"Hey guys, I'm back! Thanks for holding the egg for me Justin." Lyra said as she returned. Justin handed her the egg back when she sat down on the couch.

"Who was it?" Aly asked.

"It was my parents. Apparently they're in Emerald City for a trip. They want me to travel there first thing in the morning so we can meet up."

"Isn't that in the opposite direction of Citrine City?" Justin asked.

"Yeah…so this is where we'll be splitting ways I guess." Lyra remarked.

"That's a shame. It was really fun travelling with you for as long as we did. I'll miss my other female companion." Aly said. Lyra placed her Egg on the couch and walked up to Aly before hugging her.

"Girl, don't you worry. We'll meet up again soon!"

"Lyra. The next time we meet, I want to battle with you. Espeon and I will be ready." Justin said confidently, which grabbed the attention of Lyra.

"I'm looking forward to that one Justy." Lyra smirked.

"Wait…did you just call me Justy?" Justin remarked.

"Of course I did silly! Aly calls you that, so why can't I? Am I not special enough?" Lyra said as she put on a cute and innocent face. Justin's face began to turn bright red, much to Aly's dismay.

"All right, we get it. You can call him that too. Geez…" Aly remarked as she walked up to Lyra, who was grinning at her. Both of them just looked at each other, each with different expression but both on the same subject.

"…I have no idea what's going on…" Justin sighed. He then looked back at Espeon's Pokeball, which was on the couch behind him, and smiled.

"_Like I said to Aly, we're going to do it together Espeon…"_


	25. Chapter 25 - The Breeder's House

**_AN: Wow, another month another chapter. My life is just way too busy. Nonetheless, here is the next chapter._**

**Chapter 25 – The Breeder's House**

"Espeon, try your Psybeam!" Justin commanded.

"Esp!" Espeon cried out as the red jewel on its forehead began to glow. On the other side of the pair was Aly and her Vulpix.

"Vulpix, counter it with your flamethrower." Aly commanded.

"Vul-pix!" Vulpix cried out while it prepared its flamethrower. After charging up, both Pokémon unleashing their attacks towards each other. The attacks met and began to push against each other. Shortly after though, it was Vulpix's flamethrower that pushed out Espeon's Psybeam and made its way to hit the Psychic Pokémon. Espeon was sent backwards into the air from the attack, but managed to land on its paws with no real damage.

"Well, I guess we're still not there yet. Still have ways to go. Right Espeon?" Justin said as he walked up to his Pokémon. He knelt down on one knee and began petting Espeon's head.

"Esp." The Psychic Pokémon nodded with a determined look. Justin smiled before returning his Pokémon back to its Pokeball. Aly did the same while thanking her Pokémon for the battle.

"Well, I guess we should get going." Justin suggested.

"You betcha!" Aly said happily.

It was a crisp morning in the Minero Region today. Justin and Aly decided to get a head start on the day and leave Granite Town early to Citrine City. They were hoping to see their friend Lyra before leaving, but she had left even earlier than them. The landscape began to change as the trainers headed north on Route 405. There were noticeably less grass and trees and a lot more gravel and giant rocks supplanted in the open areas. The soft earth of the trainer path was still present, making the trek a little more comfortable for Justin and Aly. Aly decided to let Squirtle out of it Pokeball and let it walk beside her while she carried her prized Pokémon Egg in her arms.

"We're certainly heading into the boonies of Minero now." Justin remarked.

"You said it. Literally nothing is here. Are there any wild Pokémon here?" Aly asked. Justin pulled out his Pokedex from his bag and turned it on.

"Let's see…..It says there's Sandshrew, Cubone, Aron, Lairon and Machop here. Pokémon you'd typically find in rough-terrain areas."

"Isn't it weird how we haven't seen any yet?"

"Well, it's because they're all there." Justin pointed to his left. Aly looked over to see a whole bunch of Pokémon casually walk through open gravel area in the same direction. It was all of the Pokémon that Justin just described from his Pokedex.

"I wonder where they're all going." Aly asked curiously.

"Squirtle." Squirtle cried out with the same curiosity as its trainer.

"Why don't we find out?" Justin suggested. They both nodded and slowly started to follow the wild Pokémon from behind. A couple minutes worth of following them led the trainers to conclude that they were going nowhere. But, just before they decided to stop following, they came across something in the distance that looked like a house and a barn. There seemed to be some grass and trees around the area too, which made it even more odd considering their surrounding environment.

"It seems the Pokémon are heading towards that place over there." Justin exclaimed.

"It's pretty much in the middle of nowhere. And look, there's green life all over that place. Grass, Trees, plants, etc." Aly added. The trainers decided to continue following the wild Pokémon and explore the newly found buildings. They eventually reached the front gate, where all the wild Pokémon entered through it and walked into this large red building on the right. Justin and Aly began to observe the place. There was a small blue rooftop house on the right that looked in decent shape, while there was a large red barn-like building right across from it on the right. Both buildings were surrounded by a white wooden fence pegged around in a square shape. The ground had green grass all over with the exception of a beige dirt path leading into the 2 buildings.

"What kind of place do you think this is?" Justin asked.

"Is anyone here?!" Aly yelled out. A few seconds past by and no one answered her call.

"I guess no one is home?" Justin remarked. Just then, they saw the door to the small house open. Out came a short, older woman with grey hair and wearing an old fashion black dress.

"Oh…it seems we have guests." She said to herself. She walked down the footsteps and approached the 2 trainers.

"Why hello there. Are you trainers lost? Do you need help?" The older woman asked graciously. She may have been old, but she presented herself in a positive and warm manner.

"Um, not really. We really just saw a whole bunch of wild Pokémon walk into the bigger building to the left and followed them, which eventually led us here. I hope we're not intruding…" Aly said.

"Oh, not at all. Yes, wild Pokémon tend to come over to our little ranch often. We're always welcoming to them."

"Why do they come over here? And what do you mean Ranch?" Justin asked surprised.

"Why, this is mine and my husband's Pokémon Breeder Ranch! We do a whole lot of things such as look after the Pokémon of trainers who have other commitments, take care of the Pokémon Eggs that are produced, and much more!" The woman explained.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Aly exclaimed.

"It sure is. We've been doing this for about 40 years now, and…..wait a minute. Young Lady, where did you receive that egg you're carrying from?" The older woman asked.

"Oh, I won it at a baking contest back in Granite Town." Aly answered.

"Oh, how wonderful. Good for you dear. I should tell you that those Pokémon Eggs for that contest were supplied by this breeding ranch!"

"No way! That's awesome!"

"By the way, my name is Clarabelle. My husband Paul and I are just about to have a small breakfast. Would you both care to join us?" The woman asked.

"I could use a bite. Sure. Thank you!" Justin replied. Clarabelle smiled and then led the 2 trainers through the gate and all the way into the house. From a far distance away, there was a set of binoculars peering at the ranch from behind a giant rock. A man in brown robes and a black cape lowered his eye device, pulled out a small communicator from his pocket and raised it to his mouth.

"Target location found. Prepare for mission Exo-34 to begin." The man said.

* * *

"Boy! That breakfast was awesome!" Justin exclaimed as he put down his fork back on the table. He sat right next to Aly and across from Clarabelle and her husband Paul. Paul had a muscular build for an older gentlemen, but still looked as sweet and positive as Clarabelle did.

"So Aly, have you been taking care of that Pokémon Egg since you got it?" Paul asked.

"Oh, of course." Aly said as she glanced over at the egg sitting on the other table in its incubator chamber. "I'm always carrying it around in the small incubator. I even talk to it sometimes, as crazy as that sounds. I'm really excited to see what Pokémon will hatch from it."

"Well, it looks pretty healthy, so I'd say you're doing a good job." Clarabelle smiled.

"Thanks. Is there anything else I should be doing to take care of it even more?"

"Well, I guess we can give you a few tips. Clarabelle dear, why don't you bring Aly over to the medical room and show her some things." Paul suggested.

"I'd be happy too. You can leave your plate there Aly. Come with me." Clarabelle said kindly as she got up from her chair. Aly thanked her and got up from her seat in order to follow the older woman out of the kitchen. Paul then turned to Justin.

"Say Justin, you got yourself a good friend over there." He mentioned.

"Yeah, she's quickly turning into one of my best friends. I was so happy to see her win that competition and receive that Pokémon Egg. I participated in the battle contest back in Granite Town, but lost in the first round." Justin explained.

"There's always another time. But, if you'd like, I can show you the barn next door where we keep all of the other Pokémon Eggs we raise."

"You mean it? That'll be awesome sir!"

"Sure, why not! Wait outside while I got clean up this place first. I'll give you the full tour."

With that, Justin got up from his chair and went outside while Paul started to clean up after everyone. Justin walked through the front door, down the footsteps and towards the barn.

All of a sudden, something on the far left caught the edge of Justin's eye. He quickly turned in that direction to see the wild Pokémon from before run out of the barn in panic. A Drapion followed right behind them, shooting out poison sting attacks.

"What the hell?" Justin exclaimed. A hooded figure in brown robes and a black cape ran out of the barn as well, who seemed to be Drapion trainer. They stopped running and turned towards Justin's direction. The hood fell behind his head, revealing the person's face and identity.

"…..it's you." Justin said.

* * *

"Now, this is a small blanket you should put in the incubator with the egg for support and warmth. Oh, and have this too, so you can monitor that inside Pokémon's movements." Clarabelle explained as she gave Aly a small pink blanket.

"Oh, um thanks." Aly replied as she was overwhelmed with the things Clarabelle was giving her. She began to look around the room. It looked like a clinic room on a trip to the doctor's office. The walls were painted a beige cream colour while various medical instruments were scattered around the main table. Both of them sat on a soft high cushion pillow, presumably something where a sick or injured Pokémon would be if treated.

"This place looks just like a doctor's practice room." Aly remarked.

"Well, Paul and I also happen to have Pokémon medical licenses too. So, with all of the newly born Pokémon from the eggs, we monitor their health in order to be healthy Pokémon growing up." Clarabelle explained.

"You guys are amazing…"

Just then, Aly noticed a ferret-like Pokémon with a long body and brown and beige fur pop its head from the other room.

"Oh Furret. Come on out here and say hi to our guest." Clarabelle said softly. The normal type Pokémon examined Aly for a bit before deeming her friendly and scurrying towards her. It jumped up in Aly's lap and curled up in a ball. Aly began to stroke its fur.

"That Furret you're holding is our assistant when we need to monitor the baby Pokémon." Clarabelle said.

"Wow, it's so cute and soft! Its looks really healthy judging from its fur's softness and colour. It sure seems like you take care of this little guy very well!" Aly remarked.

"Well, we do own a breeder ranch, so I guess it wouldn't be in our nature to not take good care of it." Clarabelle chuckled. "But, I'm impressed you're able to determine its health from the fur."

"Oh…um, I've been doing a lot of research on Pokémon health recently. I know that a Pokémon's appearance is usually a first indicator whether the Pokémon's health is good or not."

"If you don't mind, may I see your current Pokémon team?"

"Sure!" Aly took her Pokeballs from her belt and released both Squirtle and Vulpix on the floor mat.

"Hmmm…judging from their appearances, it seems that you take really good care of these 2. Squirtle's shell and Vulpix's fur look very good. I assume you feed them well too?"

"Well...I'd like to think so. I've began making my own Pokémon food for them based on their required nutritional needs for water and fire types while making it tasty. I know I'm still just a beginner, but I'd like to think I'm doing an ok job. Right guys?" Aly exclaimed. Both of her Pokémon smiled and cried in agreement.

"I see. I'm sure you'll do a fine job with the egg you received Aly." Clarabelle deduced.

"…Thanks Clarabelle." Aly replied sincerely.

"Are you travelling to become a Pokémon breeder?" Clarabelle asked.

"….Well, the thing is, I still don't know what I want to become yet. I'm hoping this journey with Justin helps me figure it out. I use to want to become a trainer, and thought about a coordinator, but those ambitions were put away. I never really thought of being a breeder before…" Aly explained.

"Hmm, well I think you'd make a great one, seeing how you are so diligent when it comes to taking care of your Pokémon. But, it's just a thought. Ultimately it'll be you who will decide your fate. Who knows, you might even work your way up to become a Pokémon doctor!"

"You think? Maybe-"

Just then, they heard some loud noise coming from outside. Furret got scared and ran back through the entrance it came. Aly and Clarabelle both got up from their seats and began to walk towards the nearby window.

"What was that?" Clarabelle asked. They both looked out and saw what seemed like Justin and his Pokémon battling. Another person was standing across from him in brown robes and a black cape. It was someone Aly knew already.

"No…not him…" She mumbled.

"What's going on?" A voice said from afar. Aly and Clarabelle looked behind themselves to see Paul walking towards them.

"It seems like Justin is battling someone right outside the egg barn." Clarabelle explained.

"Battling? With who?"

"Someone not with good intentions. We better head outside." Aly said as she and her Pokémon started to walk towards the house entrance. Paul and Clarabelle slowly followed behind them as they went outside and approached the battling trainers. The person across from Justin saw the group coming his way and recognized the young female instantly.

"Well, if it isn't Aly. Long-time no see princess." The person shouted out in a maniacal voice.

"Hey, focus on me pal!" Justin cried out.

"Please, you're hardly the trainer you used to be right now. Something must have happened to you because usually you put up a fight, but I've been taking this battle no problem. Did your Espeon get weaker when it evolved?" Caius taunted. Justin and Espeon growled at those remarks.

"We'll just see. Espeon, Iron Tail attack!" Justin commanded. Espeon ran towards Drapion before jumping up in the air and whipping its glowing tail at the Poison Type Pokémon.

"Drapion, catch that tail!" Caius shouted. Drapion perfectly timed its movements so that its 2 claws caught Espeon's tail before it got hit. Espeon started to fall, but was held up by its tail thanks to Drapion holding it. It squirmed around to try and escape, but Drapion's grip wouldn't allow it to.

"Now, use Cross Poison!"

Drapion then threw Espeon into the air. As the Psychic Pokémon began to fall, Drapion crossed its arms upwards and slashed the Psychic Pokémon, which created a purple X upon impact. The attack sent Espeon backwards towards Justin before landing hard on the ground. The attack wasn't very effective, but the psychic Pokémon felt it more due to its fatigue from the battle.

"Espeon!" Justin cried out worriedly for his Pokémon. Espeon got up slowly, all covered in scratches and panting heavily. It clearly wasn't at the level of battling it was capable of, still recovering from the psychological blow it suffered during its battle with Ron.

"Ha! C'mon now boy! Is that the best you got?" Caius taunted as he began to laugh. "You seem like not even half the trainer you once were! It's just so funny!"

Justin looked down and Espeon, who looked back at him with an exhausted expression.

"Well….he seems a lot more energetic than the last time we dealt with him on Courage Mountain, eh Espeon?" Justin remarked with a smile. Espeon nodded and smiled back.

"Man, still as perky as ever I see. Don't you get tired of being positive all the time?" He retorted.

"Don't you get tired of being a grumpy and arrogant dude? C'mon man, loosen up a bit. We're having a good battle now."

Aly let out a sigh from behind Justin.

"That's Justin for you…always able to find a light moment in a critical situation…" She remarked. Justin and Espeon became serious again and resumed their battle with Caius.

"Who is that over there Aly? Shouldn't we help Justin?" Clarabelle asked confused.

"His name is Caius. He's from a group called Team Immortal, who are always up to no good. I think Justin will be ok. He and Espeon will get it together, I know it." Aly explained.

"What would Team Immortal be doing here at our Breeding Ranch?" Paul asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure, but it certainly can't be for good. But wait…he's usually with his partner Raiza-"

Just as Aly was about to complete her sentence, she saw another man in brown robes and a black cape walking out of the barn and holding a blue and beige Pokémon Egg in his arms. Aly knew the man instantly and gasped.

"Raiza."

"Huh? Oh, it's you." The man replied. Clarabelle and Paul's attention were now focused on the interaction between Aly and Raiza.

"How have you been?" Raiza asked calmly.

"Oh….um, fine, I guess." She replied unsurely.

"Well, I hope you aren't pushing yourself too hard."

Aly was slightly thrown off at the concerned, but surprising remarks Raiza just made. He certainly was a mysterious guy. It was until then that she came back to Earth and realized the situation.

"Enough of that. Are you stealing an egg from this Pokémon Breeding Ranch?" She spat out.

"What do you think it looks like? Yes, I am. Caius and I need to bring an egg back to headquarters to try our latest experiment." Raiza explained.

"You hand that egg back now young man!" Paul called out from the side as he began to charge towards Raiza. The Team Immortal agent saw this quickly pulled out a contraption from his pocket and threw it towards Paul. The contraption was a metal ring that quickly expanded and wrapped around Paul before shrinking, constricting his movements and causing him to fall hard on the ground.

"Paul!" Clarabelle called out as she rushed to his aid. The ring around Paul began to constricted him even more, causing him to be in more pain. Aly saw this in disgust and looked back at Raiza.

"How could you do that to him?! What could you possibly want with a Pokémon Egg?"

"I won't divulge any further into Team Immortal's mission. I've given too much information in the past, and you kids seem to pose some threat to us."

"I don't care what you think. You're stealing a Pokémon egg from this breeding ranch. The people who own this ranch are really good people who care about the eggs and Pokémon that hatch from it. They don't deserve this at all." Aly yelled passionately.

"C'mon Raiza. I know you're a good person. You shouldn't be doing this. Please, give the egg back." She added. After a few moments of silence, Raiza just smirked.

"I told you, I am loyal to Team Immortal and will do everything I can to see its mission go through. You still think that this is all for evil eh?"

"I do!" Aly replied.

"Fine, then why don't you try to stop me?" Raiza barked as he pulled 2 Pokeballs from his pocket and threw them into the air. Out came 2 Pokémon. One was a big bird that had large wings and red and yellow crest that was almost as long as its body. The other was small green canine Pokémon that had a large crest head with yellow lightning marks on the side.

"Pidgeot!" The first Pokémon cried out.

"Elec-trike!" The second one roared. Both Pokémon stared down Aly with intimidating looks, which caused her to exude fear. Her Pokémon, Squirtle and Vulpix, rushed in front of her and faced Raiza's Pokémon to protect her.

"Well, are you going to battle with me?" Raiza asked calmly.

"I…I…" Aly stuttered.

"Aly!" a voice called out. Aly turned in the direction it came from, which happened to be Justin.

"Be very cautious since he's holding that egg! Here, I'll help you!" He called out. Justin ordered Espeon to do a Psybeam attack, which actually connected with Drapion and sent it backwards towards Caius. Justin and Espeon began to run towards Aly to aid her, but Drapion got right back up and blocked their way.

"You're not going anywhere bud. I'm supposed to be your distraction, and that's what I'm going to do!" Caius remarked as he quickly resumed their battle.

Aly grunted in frustration as she then turned her attention back on Raiza.

"Tell you what. If you stand down, I'll let that old man go from that clutch." Raiza said.

"Aly!" Clarabelle called out, which Aly looked in her direction. She was holding onto Paul, who was clearly in pain from the fall and the stranglehold he was in.

"You must be careful. A Pokémon Egg is very fragile, and if you were to battle with that guy, he could do something careless and drop the egg. Also, Paul is in a lot of pain right now and needs help. Please, don't battle. We have to find another way to get back that egg." She pleaded. Aly looked at her and nodded.

"Just let Paul go…" She pleaded. Raiza smirked as he reached into his pocket to grab a small remote and push a button on it. The contraption that constricted Paul was disabled, which caused him to breathe easier again.

"Heh, I hate to break it to you lady, but that girl over there won't battle me just because of that." Raiza remarked. Aly and Clarabelle gasped at Raiza's latest comments.

"What...What are you saying?" Aly stuttered.

"Over the past few encounters, I've learned a few things about you. And, I know well enough that there are some things that are holding you back from battling me."

"Oh...yeah? Like…what then?" Aly started to become really nervous.

"Well, one is that you have almost no self-confidence. You doubt yourself and your abilities all the time, so I know you're afraid to battle now. Another is that when it comes to these situations, you rely on your pal Justin too much where you have no experience. Sure, you did manage to land an attack back at Amethyst Lake, but I know you do next to no battling on your journey, making your chances of beating me even lower. Which leads me to my most interesting reason." Raiza explained.

"What….what do you mean?"

"Well, I know that hike up Courage Mountain was a little steep, but we went at an extremely slow pace. And yet, you still collapsed and almost fell down the mountain from extreme exhaustion. If we take a look at Pokémon battles, trainers use a lot of physical and mental strength while competing against others. I can't help but think…is this why you don't battle or act very preservative and not push yourself? Is there a connection between that and your health? Is there something you're hiding? I wonder…"

Aly froze up. She began to tremble and sweat, her mind began racing as events from her past resurfaced from her memories.

"What…these accusations are…" She struggled to find words to come back.

"Aly! What is he talking about?" Clarabelle asked curiously.

"DRAPP!" Drapion cried out as it got hit from another Psybeam and landed all the way in front of Raiza. He looked in the direction the Pokémon came from and found Justin charging right at him.

"Give back that egg!" Justin yelled out. He made a big leap in the air and swooped the Pokémon egg right out of Raiza's hands. He landed on the ground and ran back towards Aly.

"Aly, are you ok? I got the egg back from them." Justin said. Aly looked at him and quickly regained her composure.

"…Yeah, I'll be fine…good job Justin." She remarked quietly. He then attended to Clarabelle and Paul to see how they were doing.

"You fool. I thought you were going to hold him off!" Raiza barked at Caius, who recalled his Drapion and ran backwards his partner.

"That kid got stronger as the battle went on. I still can't beat him…which irritates me to the core!" Caius raged.

"Hmph, no matter. We got what we came here for."

"Hey! Do you not remember me snagging the Pokémon egg away from you?" Justin called out as he showed off the egg.

"That's not the only egg we took kid." Raiza said. He then reached behind his robes and pulled out another Pokémon egg in an incubator chamber. It had a hook on the top part of the glass, so it must have been clipped on his robes, but wasn't visible since it was behind him.

"Oh no! They got another one!" Clarabelle cried out. Paul tried to get up and stop them again, but fell back to the ground in pain. Justin and Espeon got ready in a battle stance to fight again.

"Well, we're done here." Raiza said.

"You're not getting away!" Justin yelled out.

"Aly!" Raiza called out.

Aly looked over towards Raiza, who had a serious expression on his face.

"Remember what I told you back then. Find you own strengths to make a difference."

Aly remained silent, as she recollected her memories of that conversation they had on Courage Mountain.

"_Don't worry….I'm working at it…"_ She thought.

"Electrike! Flash!" Raiza shouted out. Electrike roared out loudly and created a white, blinding illumination that caused Justin, Aly and the old couple to cover their eyes. Once the light was gone, everyone opened their eyes again to see that both Team Immortal agents were gone.

"Damn…they got away with that Pokémon Egg…" Justin said in frustration. He then looked down at Espeon, who was looking up at him.

"Hey Espeon, you did pretty good out there! We're almost back to battling form!" He exclaimed.

"Esp!" Espeon cried out happily. They both then quickly ran over towards Clarabelle and Paul to see how the latter was doing. Aly stood still, facing in the direction that Raiza and Caius were once in and began to think.

"_That Raiza…I just can't understand him…"_

"Aly! Come and give us a hand here." Justin remarked. Aly snapped out of her thoughts and rushed to help aid her friends.

"You going to be ok Paul?" Justin asked.

"…Ugh….I'm getting too old for this…" Paul muttered.

"I think with some rest, he'll be fine." Clarabelle mentioned. The entire group then walked back towards the house in order to rest from what happened today.

* * *

It was late afternoon and Justin and Aly were ready to get back on the road. They stood near the entrance gate of the ranch, talking to Clarabelle and Paul were right in front of them. Aly had her Pokémon Egg back in her arms while both hers and Justin's Pokémon were recalled back to their Pokeballs.

"Man, today was sure a busy day." Paul groaned.

"Paul and Clarabelle, we're sorry that we couldn't keep Team Immortal from taking the Pokémon Egg." Justin said.

"It's ok there Justin. You tried your best to help us, which we are very grateful for that. But, I also can't help but worry about what that Team Immortal plans to do with that egg…" Clarabelle said worriedly.

"Honey, the most we can do now is to make sure an incident like this never happens again." Paul reassured.

"You're right dear." Just then, Justin noticed something yellow and black was still in his arms.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot that I am still carrying this Pokémon Egg I got back from Raiza. Here, take it." Justin said as he extended his arms.

"Actually, you hold onto it Justin." Paul said.

"What?!" Justin and Aly said.

"Paul and I were talking about this, and we are so thankful to you both for helping us even though the end result wasn't favourable. We already gave Aly some useful tools to nurture the egg, so we thought we give you your own Egg as well." Clarabelle exclaimed happily.

"Wow. Um, thanks Clarabelle and Paul. I'll be sure to take care of it dearly." Justin said.

"Thanks for all you've done for us today. Clarabelle, I'll think about what you said, about a Pokémon breeder of doctor." Aly remarked. Justin looked at her in confusion, not knowing what she was talking about.

"Oh, well that's good to hear! Be sure to visit us again!" Clarabelle said as she and Paul began to wave.

"We will! You guys take care of yourselves." Justin said as he and Aly waved back before turning around and walking through the entrance gate. Paul and Clarabelle continued to wave until the trainers were out of sight.

"So honey, what do you think of those 2?" Paul asked.

"Well, it's clear what Justin is. A passionate trainer who can make it far in the Pokémon League. Aly…she's an interesting girl. The guy was right saying she can be doubtful of her abilities, but I think she has what it takes to be a fine Pokémon breeder." Clarabelle answered.

* * *

"Look Aly, now we both have Pokémon eggs to take care of!" Justin exclaimed as he showed his off.

"With you as a father? I'm certainly worried for that Pokémon!" Aly remarked.

"HEY!" Justin shot back as Aly giggled at her own teasing.

"By the way Aly. You seemed to have had an intense conversation with Raiza back there. Did he say something to you?"

"Oh….um, nothing. Just the same old evil personality of his…heh…," Aly replied while giving a fake laugh. Justin had a suspicious look on his face before shrugging it off.

* * *

"Master Zeus….come in, Master Zeus." Raiza spoke into the radio headset.

"Oh, Raiza. Status report." A voice called out.

"Mission accomplished. We were able to obtain an egg, but most importantly divert Justin Riser and Aly Eatos for most of the day. Are final preparations ready in Citrine City?"

"Ah, I see…Yes, they are. Very good Raiza and Caius. Thanks to you, we might just achieve the second stage of our mission….acquiring the Citrine Jewel!"


	26. Chapter 26 - Electrifying Battle!

_**AN: Hello friends. Well, here is the next chapter: Justin's 4th gym battle. I will now be going over older chapters and revising them, starting from chapter 1. So, the next chapter probably won't be out for awhile. Hope you enjoy this one!**_

**Chapter 26 – Electrifying Battle!**

"We're…."

"Finally…"

"HERE!" Justin Riser and Aly Eatos shouted at the top of their lungs while raising their arms (holding their Pokémon Eggs) in the air. The nearby citizens looked at them with confused and judgemental looks, which made the trainers to settle down a bit.

The 2 trainers finally made it to Citrine City just as the sun was setting below the horizon. The city was gigantic, rivaling or even bigger than Ruby City. The buildings were humongous, the size of skyscrapers. There were a lot of people walking around the streets, varying from businessmen to families to Pokémon trainers. There were a lot of flashing light boards on the buildings with various designs of company logos or Pokémon, giving that "happening" feel to the city. There was a yellow colour pattern around all the infrastructure, presumably having to do with the name of the city.

"It certainly is packed here." Aly remarked.

"This is just like the Eruva region where I'm from. Only this time…I see Pokémon around!" Justin exclaimed.

"Well, what first?"

"To the gym obviously!"

"But we just got here. Can't we take a break at the centre first?" Aly whined.

"C'mon Aly, we already had a break and a meal just before we got here. It's time for some battling!" Justin exuberantly shouted, which caused Aly to cringe from the loudness.

"Ok captain loud, I hear you. Let's go…" She sighed. Justin did a fist pump in the air and started to walk into the city with his friend. Only a few steps forward and they were already stopped by a local.

"Hey guys! Just letting you know that there's a special festival happening at City Square later this evening. It would be good if you guys could join!" A tall man in a black suit said, handing a flyer to Aly. The 2 trainers observed the paper to get what it was saying.

"Hmm, sounds like fun!" Aly said.

"Let's go there after my battle!" Justin replied.

"We look forward to seeing you both. Have a wonderful time until then." The man said before walking away towards other entering travellers. Aly put the flyer in her bag and the 2 continued to walk again. After passing by a few blocks and intersections, Justin and Aly finally made it to the Citrine City Gym. The building was bright yellow, having light decorations in the shape of lightning bolts all around.

"Wait, are you sure you're ready? I mean, you and Espeon…" Aly remarked.

"Well, I feel we got better timing and synchronization from that battle with Caius. But, I also think an actual gym battle will help us out the most. There's no better way to learn than being in the moment, in those intense situations, you know?" Justin explained.

"…I shouldn't really be questioning. That's your motto for everything." Aly sighed.

"Don't worry, Espeon will be fine. Besides, this will be Gible's first gym battle, so the spotlight will be mainly on it."

"Oh, so you're using Gible eh? I'm sure it's excited."

"Oh, it can't wait I'm sure. Anyways, let's go in."

The 2 trainers walked through the entrance doors and into the gym. The inside walls were painted white with patterned yellow line designs. The sleek silver marble floor shined brightly thanks to the many light decorations positioned at the top of the gym. It was very bright inside, causing Justin and Aly to squint their eyes a little upon walking in. The battle arena was just up ahead in the center, white lines painted on what appeared to be normal dirt padded area. On the other side of the room was a slim man in a white tank top and beige shorts sitting on the floor, appearing to be working with a lot of wires and cables. The 2 trainers began to slowly approach the guy.

"Um, excuse me." Justin said.

"Now, if I plug this in with this, the new lightning decoration will surely work!" The guy said as he stuck a metal plug into an extension cable socket. Just then, yellow electricity came out from the socket that surrounded his body and shocked the guy as he began to shout in pain. A few seconds after, the electricity disappeared, leaving the man with black char marks on his body and a black smoke to rise from his head.

"Um….are you all right?" Aly asked concernedly. The man just shook his head back and forth quickly and looked as if nothing happened.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Looks like I still got work to do." The man said while giggling. He then stopped and looked at the 2 people facing him.

"Oh, I just realized I have visitors. Whoops, sorry kids. I was trying to get this done so my new light decorations would work."

"That's ok. My name is Justin Riser, and I'm here to challenge the Citrine City Gym Leader to a battle!" Justin announced.

"Well, is that right? My friend, you've come to the right place if you want a gym battle. My name is Max, the Citrine Gym Leader, and I accept your challenge." The man replied.

"Thanks Max, I'm ready to go! It's been awhile since I had a gym match!"

"Well, I'll be sure to give you an electrifying experience!"

"I guess I'm off to watch. Good luck Justin. Hey, let me hold onto your egg while you battle." Aly said to her friend.

"Thanks Aly. I'll do my best. Be sure to look after Herodotus for me." Justin said gratefully, handing the incubator holding his egg to Aly's other hand.

"Herodotus?" Aly asked confused. "…You actually named your Egg that?"

"I think it's an epic name. So majestic, and an ancient feel to it." Justin said, making colourful gestures with his arms. Aly rolled her eyes at his logic.

"Whatever makes you happy I guess." She replied.

"Hey…I sense some sarcasm there." Justin said as he made a shifty glare at her.

"My, you guys sure get along well." Max said as he chuckled a bit.

"Well, we've been travelling for so long, I'd say we're as close as can be! Don't you agree Aly?"

"Oh…um, yeah…of course…" Aly said flustered as she became a little red. She quickly took Justin's egg and went towards the benches on the side to sit.

"I wonder what her deal is." Justin asked confused.

"I think I know." Max smirked. "Anyways, go to your side of the battlefield."

Justin nodded as he and Max walked in opposite directions to their designated side. Max took out his cellphone and made a quick call. A few moments after that, a door on the side of the arena across from Aly opened. Out came a man in a battle judge's uniform, who approached the judge's post on the battlefield.

"Trainer, what is your name?" The battle judge called out.

"Justin Riser sir." Justin responded. The judge nodded and began his speech.

"The Citrine City Gym Battle is about to begin, where our gym leader Max, faces the challenger, Justin Riser. This battle will be a 3 vs 3 Pokémon battle. The winner will be declared when all of their opponent's Pokémon are unable to battle. Only the challenger will be allowed substitutions! Now, leader and trainer, choose your Pokémon!"

"All right. Jolteon! Time to light them up!" Max said loudly as he threw his Pokeball towards the center of the battlefield. Out came a dog-like Pokémon with bright yellow fur, long sharp ears, and a white-spikey mane around its neck.

"Jolt-eon!" The Pokémon roared out.

"A Jolteon! The electric type evolution of Eevee! This is so cool! I can't wait to see what it can do!" Justin exclaimed jubilantly.

"Then why don't you call out your Pokémon and I'll show you what it can do." Max said.

"Oh…right. All right! Gible, it's time for battle!" Justin said as he threw a Pokeball towards the battlefield, releasing the small dragon type Pokémon.

"All right Gible. This is your first ever gym battle! Let's go out there and have fun!"

"Gible! Gible! Gible!" Gible cried out happily as it jumped up and down flailing its arms.

"Now, let the battle commence!" The judge announced.

"All right! Jolteon, use your quick attack!" Max commanded. In a matter of seconds, Jolteon leaped forward and charged towards Gible.

"Gible! Use your-"Before Justin was able to say his command, Jolteon had already tackled Gible, sending the Dragon Pokémon backwards before landing on the ground in front of Justin.

"Gible, use dragon rage!" Justin commanded.

Gible quickly got back up, inhaled deeply, and then released a blast of blue and black energy, which took the shape of a dragon, right towards Jolteon at a blistering speed.

"Jolteon, quickly dodge it!" Max commanded. Jolteon pivoted to its right and jumped out of the way of the attack, just barely dodging it.

"Now, use pin missile!"

Jolteon changed its direction towards Gible and released yellow sharp needles towards Gible. The dragon Pokémon looked away, closed its eyes and braced itself as the piercing attacks came in. The attack wasn't really that powerful, but it irritated Gible enough for it to cringe and cry out irritably.

"Hang in there Gible!" Justin called out. A few moments after, the pin missiles stopped.

Just as Gible opened its eyes and turned back, it saw Jolteon charging straight at it with another quick attack. The electric Pokémon came in so fast that Gible had no time to react as it got slammed into, sending it backwards towards the end of the battlefield.

"Gible!" Justin cried out worriedly. Gible got up to its feet, but not as quick as before.

"That's it Gible! Remember, this is your time to shine. Not only to win, but to also have fun and a good time!" Justin said, giving Gible a thumbs up.

Gible turned around and cheered happily, acknowledging its trainer's remarks. Max looked on and strung a sincere smile

"Justin. You certainly do well connecting with your Pokémon. Your positivity and enthusiasm are really something." Max remarked.

"Thanks Max! And I'll have you know, that enthusiasm, plus our determination, never makes it an easy fight for trainers." Justin remarked.

"Give me your best shot."

Justin nodded and began to examine the situation.

"_All right. I know now that his Jolteon is like, super lightning quick." _Justin thought to himself.

"_I could try and think of an elaborate strategy. But then again, that's not how I roll. Let's just go with something and see what happens! I haven't used dig yet, which is a super effective move on electric Pokémon."_

"All right Gible! Use dig!" Justin commanded.

"Gib!" Gible cried out as it jumped in the air before digging its way underground.

"Interesting. Jolteon, stay sharp." Max said. Jolteon nodded as it began to listen closely for any movement.

Moments past and nothing had happened. Max and Jolteon maintained their focus on a possible sneak attack from Gible.

"Gible now!" Justin called out. The ground under Jolteon began to shake as the Dragon Pokémon got ready to emerge.

"Jolteon, dodge!" Max shouted. Jolteon quickly bent its knees before leaping up into the air, evading the emerging Gible as it arose to the surface.

"Jolteon, pin missile!" Max commanded. Jolteon's fur spiked up as it shot yellow needles downward towards Gible, causing the Dragon Pokémon to fall back into the hole.

"Why don't you try again?"

"Fine. Gible, on my signal, you know what to do." Justin exclaimed. The room became quiet again, as Max and Jolteon awaited Justin's move.

"Gible, do it now!" Justin called out. The ground under Jolteon began to rumble again.

"Jolteon, jump up and dodge!" Max commanded. Jolteon leaped up into the air, anticipating the dragon Pokémon to pop up and attack.

"Gotcha!" Justin said. Max gasped at Justin's sudden confidence as he examined the rumbling more carefully. The ground broke through and it wasn't Gible that came out, but a black and blue dragon-shaped energy beam instead that headed straight to Jolteon. Since the electric Pokémon was already in the air heading upwards, it had no way of changing its direction to dodge.

"Jolteon, no!" Max cried out. The attack hit Jolteon and created a smoke explosion on impact. Jolteon began to fall down towards the battlefield.

"Gible! Spring up with dig this time!" Justin commanded. Gible then emerged from another hole and tackled Jolteon, sending it into the air and landing a few feet front of Max.

"Finish it with another Dragon Rage!" Justin added. Gible unleased another dragon rage attack straight towards Jolteon. The electric Pokémon tried to get up and dodge, but the fatigue and damage it took reduced its speed. It was not fast enough to dodge and ended up getting hit by the attack, creating another smoke explosion to occur. As the smoke subsided, both trainers found Jolteon lying on the floor, unable to battle anymore.

"Jolteon is unable to battle, which means that this round goes to Gible!" The battle judge announced.

"Nice job Gible! You totally nailed it!" Justin cried out happily. Gible looked back at its trainer and roared proudly while jumping up and down in joy.

"Yay Justin! Good job!" Aly cheered from the stands, who Justin then gave a wave to. Max took out a Pokeball to return his fallen Pokémon.

"Thanks Jolteon." He whispered. He then looked back at Justin.

"I'm impressed Justin. After falling behind, out of nowhere you took the round just like that. But, we're just getting started." Max remarked as he then threw another Pokeball towards the battlefield. Out came a tall Pokémon with yellow fur, a black stripe across its chest in the shape of a lightning bolt, and a pair of antennae on its head.

"Electa-buzz!" The Pokémon roared.

"Whoa! An Electabuzz! Looks super strong and super cool!" Justin gleamed.

"Man, you really get excited about Pokémon don't you?" Max remarked.

"I love Pokémon. Every one of them I see is a special moment to me. But enough of that, let's battle! Gible! You know what to do! Use Dig!" Justin commanded. Gible jumped into the air before burrowing into the ground.

"I was expecting that." Max smirked. "I'm going to finish this quickly! Electabuzz! Use focus punch on the ground!"

"Electa!' Electabuzz cried out as it raised its fist, which started to glow brightly, into the air. Then, it slammed its fist down on the ground, causing the floor to rumble heavily where Justin had trouble maintaining his balance. All of a sudden in the middle of the battlefield, Gible shot up from underground into the air. It seemed that the magnitude of Electabuzz's punch was so strong that the earth beneath pushed the hiding Gible to the surface.

"Oh no!" Justin cried out.

"Now, Electabuzz, use Ice Punch!" Max called out. Electabuzz winded its fist back again, only this time there was a visible icy wind circling around it. As Gible began to descend, failing around sporadically, Electabuzz leaned in and punched Gible right in the mid-section. This sent Gible flying in the air backwards before landing right in front of Justin. Gible's expression signalled its defeat and inability to continue.

"Gible is unable to battle! So this round goes to Electabuzz!" The battle judge announced

"Gible, return." Justin said as he picked its Pokeball from his belt and returned it.

"Thanks pal. You did awesome for your first gym battle." Justin smiled at the Pokeball before putting back on his belt.

"Keep going Justin! You can do it!" Aly called out from the stands. Justin nodded as his friend's encouragement and pulled another Pokeball out.

"Well, to make it interesting, let's put out a Pokémon who can also throw some dukes. Combusken! You're up!" Justin called out as he released the fire type Pokémon from its Pokeball.

"Com-busken!" Combusken chirped out loudly.

"Combusken, let's try and avenge Gible's defeat." Justin said. Combusken gave a nod and looked back at Electabuzz with a determined look.

"All right! Combusken, start with a flamethrower attack!" Justin commanded. Combusken inhaled deeply before releasing a powerful stream of fire towards Electabuzz.

"Electabuzz! Block it with Fire Punch!" Max called out. Electabuzz drew its fist back before vaulting it forward onto the incoming flamethrower. The attacks collided, with the flamethrower deflecting off Electabuzz's fist in different directions.

"Now, fire punch on Combusken!" Max commanded. Electabuzz began to run towards Combusken while holding its fist out, which was still deflecting the flamethrower attack.

"Combusken! Sky Uppercut!" Justin yelled out.

Combusken stopped its flamethrower attack and threw its claw right at the charging Electabuzz. The 2 punches met, created a wind force that shot back at both Pokémon. The attacks were evenly matched, causing both Pokémon to quickly draw back.

"Not bad power you got there. Electabuzz, now use thunder punch!" Max commanded.

"Electa!" Electabuzz cried out as it got another punch ready, this time visible electric lightning sparked around its hand.

"Combusken! Sky Uppercut again!" Justin commanded.

Combusken nodded and swung its claw up in an uppercut motion. The attacks met head on once again, creating the same wind force from before. This time, Electabuzz let out a cunning smirk, which caught Combusken by surprise.

Just then, Combusken was shocked by and electric attack. The punch Electabuzz threw transferred its electrical attack from its fist into Combusken.

"No way! Combusken!" Justin called out. Electabuzz finished its attack and drew backwards to its trainer. Combusken began to wobble a bit from the electric attack, but shook it off.

"We'll have to be careful now…..wait! I got an idea!" Justin exclaimed.

"Then show me! Thunder punch again Electabuzz!" Max commanded. Electabuzz began to charge at Combusken again with its fist surrounded in electric lighting.

"Combusken! Flamethrower on your claws, then Sky Uppercut to block it!" Justin shouted.

Combusken nodded, as it knew what its trainer wanted it to do. It released a flamethrower towards Electabuzz, which the electric Pokémon easily dodged. However, the fire type Pokémon then raised its claws and put them in front of the line of fire. Once the flamethrower stopped, Combusken's claws were engulfed in flames. It then went to use sky uppercut to block Electabuzz's thunder punch attack. Once the 2 attacks met, Combusken let out a smirk this time.

The same tactic Electabuzz used last time to transfer the electricity was blocked by the flame that surrounded Combusken's claw, leaving the electric type Pokémon shocked (haha…get it?).

"Now, Sky Uppercut to attack!" Justin yelled. Combusken used its other claw and swooped it up right into Electabuzz's chin, sending it up in the air. The flames from the Combusken's claw were now around Electabuzz, doing even more damage.

"No way!" Max exclaimed as his Pokémon then fell down onto the ground.

"Way to be Combusken!" Justin cried out.

"Well, time for a brawling duel then. Electabuzz, use focus punch!" Max commanded.

"Combusken! Flaming Sky Uppercut!' Justin commanded.

Both Pokémon cried out at unleased their respective attacks. They both collided in a draw, but both Pokémon used their other arm to attack again, only to have another draw. They then went into a sparring match where they either got a punch/uppercut in, blocked or dodged an attack.

"Keep it up Combusken! Show that fighting spirit!' Justin yelled out. Combusken roared out again as it blocked a thunder punch from Electabuzz. This time, it dropped to the ground and shot out its leg right into Electabuzz's mid-section, causing the electric Pokémon to flinch.

"Wow that was Mega Kick!" Justin exclaimed happily.

"Impressive, but now that it's down, we have the advantage!" Max explained. Electabuzz used another Focus Punch straight down at Combusken, who was forced to block the attack with its 2 claws. This however allowed Electabuzz to use its other hand and thunder punch Combusken right in the kisser, sending a brutal electrical shock.

"It's time to end this! Electabuzz, maximum power thunder punch!" Max commanded.

"Combusken! Do a flamethrower Sky Uppercut!" Justin called out. Electabuzz lunged with an electric punch while Combusken shot a flaming claw. The attacks collided once again, this time creating a massive smoke explosion upon impact that spread all across the battlefield towards the 2 competitors. Justin and Max used their arms to shield the smoke from their faces, neither of them expecting this kind of outcome. Moments after, the smoke began to clear. Out of the smoke was Combusken and Electabuzz, who were both covered in char marks and scratches, standing face to face with each other.

"A draw?" Aly said from the stands. Just after, both of them fell backwards and collapsed to the ground.

"Combusken and Electabuzz are both unable to battle! Which means that this round is a draw!" The battle judge announced.

Max pulled out a Pokeball and returned his fallen Pokémon.

"Good job Electabuzz, have a good rest." He said.

Justin ran to his fallen Pokémon. "Combusken! Are you ok! Say something to me buddy!" He dramatically cried out. Combusken went on to slapping him in the face with his claw and giving him a puzzled look.

"Right, you're tough, I know." Justin smiled, which his Pokémon gave back.

"Get some rest." Justin said as he returned the fire type Pokémon back to its Pokeball. He then got up and walked back to his side.

"Well Justin, we're down to the final stretch. I hope you're ready for this." Max said.

"You betcha! This battle has been awesome so far! But, it's going to be me who's winning." Justin said.

"We shall see. Now, let's go Raichu!" Max shouted as he summoned his final Pokémon to the battlefield. Out came an orange mouse-like Pokémon with a white belly, yellow circles on its cheeks and a long thin tail.

"Rai-Rai!" Raichu cried out with electricity sparking from its cheeks.

Justin reached for a Pokeball on his belt, but then hesitated for a bit.

"_Mudkip is obviously a bad option because of the type advantage. Espeon…I know we had some practise with Caius. And I told Aly that Espeon would benefit from real gym battle experience. But…why do I feel hesitant now?" _He thought.

"You can do it Justin! Trust in your Pokémon!" Aly cried out from the stands. Justin looked on at his friend and thought to himself again.

"_She's absolutely right. I can't have second thoughts now. I need to follow through with that advice and believe in Espeon. We're in it to win it….and have fun!"_

"Espeon! I choose you!" Justin called out as he summoned the psychic type Pokémon.

"Esp!" Espeon cried out.

"Now that each trainer's last Pokémon are out, let the final battle begin!" The battle judge announced.

"Raichu! Start off with your thunder attack!" Max commanded. Raichu cried out loudly, releasing an intense wave of electricity from its body towards Espeon.

"Espeon, counter with Psybeam!" Justin commanded. Espeon unleashed a colourful beam of energy from the jewel on its forehead straight at Raichu. Both attacks collided, creating a small smoke explosion.

"Espeon, catch it off guard with quick attack!"

Espeon dashed forward in and out the smoke cloud in the direction of Raichu. The speed of Espeon's attack actually cut through the smoke, blowing it away from the battlefield. However, that made the psychic type Pokémon visible to Max and Raichu, giving away its surprise attack.

"Raichu! Use Iron tail to leap into the air!" Max commanded. Raichu raised its glowing tail and slammed in on the ground behind it. The force elevated Raichu into the air, dodging Espeon's quick attack in the nick of time.

"Now, use Body Slam!"

Raichu did a somersault in the air before flopping down on Espeon with its whole body. The attack crushed Espeon onto the ground, dealing a considerable amount of damage.

"Espeon!" Justin called out worriedly. Raichu got up and went back towards its trainer. Espeon got up slowly, but showed it was all right.

"I guess we screwed up there." Justin said.

"Blowing away to smoke gave us enough time to react on that last assault." Max explained.

"Espeon, try a shadow ball attack!"

Espeon conjured up a ball of dark energy and released it straight at Raichu.

"Raichu, hit it back with iron tail!" Max ordered. Raichu pulled its glowing tail back before swinging it right into the shadow ball, hitting the attack right back towards Espeon.

"Espeon, dodge it!" Justin commanded. Espeon did just that and jumped in the air to avoid the attack,

"Gotcha! Thunder!" Max shouted. Raichu unleashed another strong electrical attack right at the helpless Espeon on the air. The attack shocked Espeon good, causing it to fall on the ground hard and left a few char marks on its body.

"Oh man!" Justin exclaimed frustrated.

"Thunder wave!" Max commanded. Raichu shot out thin electrical waves at Espeon, which began to spark around the psychic Pokémon's body.

"Now you're Pokémon is paralyzed. Not looking hot so far Justin. You're a little more predictable this round with this Pokémon!" Max remarked. Justin growled at Max's comment. He then saw Espeon trembling a little, its body language showed fear and doubt again.

"_Just great, not the start we wanted. But, we're not going to give up. I have to be one with Espeon. I have to use her strengths, which is her speed. We need one hit. Once we get something in, the battle will become more enjoyable. Espeon is like me, wanting to have fun while battling. Once we're both having a good time, we'll be a force to reckon with."_ He thought.

"Espeon." Justin said. Espeon quickly looked back at him.

"I think it's time we get back in the game for realz. Let's have some fun." He smiled. Espeon had a puzzled reaction at first, but then nodded with determination and a confident smile.

"Right. Espeon, use quick attack!"

Espeon dashed forward quickly to go and tackle Raichu again.

"Raichu! Hit it with Thunder!" Max commanded. Raichu released a thunder attack, one bigger than the previous to, in the direction of the charging psychic Pokémon.

"Quickly, jump in the air to dodge!" Justin shouted. Espeon leaped into the air and evaded the Thunder attack.

"Now, hammer it down with iron tail!"

Once Espeon reached its peak height, it began to somersault downwards, gaining momentum and speed for an Iron Tail attack on Raichu.

"Whoa! Raichu quickly, block the attack with-"Max said before interrupted by Espeon's Iron Tail slamming hard onto Raichu's head. After Espeon backed away, Raichu began wobbling in a dizzy state.

"Follow up with Shadow Ball!" Justin commanded. While in mid-air, Espeon conjured a dark ball of energy and shot it at the shaky electric Pokémon, creating a smoke explosion on impact. Raichu was shot out of the smoke and on the ground in front of Max.

"That's it!" Justin exclaimed happily. Raichu got up slowly and shook its head of the dizziness.

"Wow, wasn't expecting that kind of speed with it paralyzed. Not bad kid." Max remarked.

"Thanks! But, we're not done yet."

"Raichu, use Thunder!"

"Rai!" Raichu cried out as it unleased another strong electric attack.

"Espeon, Iron Tail on the ground!" Justin commanded. Espeon turned around, lifted its glowing tail, and swung it down hard into the ground. The force of the attack caused sand, dirt and gravel to fly into the air, creating a shield that blocked the electric attack. Max and Raichu were surprised yet again at Justin's unexpected tactics.

"Psybeam!"

Through the sand shield, a colourful beam broke through it and went straight towards Raichu. It was a weaker Psybeam that hit Raichu, so it didn't do as much damage. Max took the opportunity to see through the sand shield and find Espeon for a counter attack. However, the psychic Pokémon wasn't there anymore.

"Where's Espeon!" Max cried out as he and Raichu frantically looked around the battlefield for it.

"Shadow Ball!" Justin cried out. Max and Raichu looked up to see Espeon in the air releasing a dark ball of energy at the electric type Pokémon. The attack hit and caused Raichu to flinch.

"Now, Iron Tail!"

Espeon somersaulted downwards again and got its Iron Tail ready. This time however, the effects of the paralysis kicked in and Espeon froze up. Max saw this and pounced on the opportunity.

"Raichu, Thunder!" He commanded. Raichu shot a Thunder attack at the descending Espeon, shooting it backwards before landing on the floor on its legs.

"You almost got me there. I have a feeling this is going to be the last move!" Max said confidently. Justin nodded and awaited his opponent's call.

"_Please…let the paralysis pass for this last attack."_ Justin thought to himself.

"Raichu! Mega Punch!" Mas shouted.

With unexpected speed, Raichu dashed quickly towards Espeon with its paw forward. Just before Raichu hit Espeon, Justin had one last trick up his sleeve.

"Duck!" He called out. Espeon's eyes widened as it ducked its head in the nick of time and evaded Raichu's punch. Max and Raichu both gasped for a split second before their opponents made a counter strike.

"Psybeam up close!" Justin commanded.

Just then, electricity began to spark around Espeon's body. However, Espeon cried out loudly and forced its way out of the paralysis. The jewel on its forehead quickly charged up and released a massive colourful beam of energy right at Raichu. This attack sent the electric type Pokémon backwards all the way right in front of its trainer. It didn't move or get back up, signalling its defeat.

"Raichu is unable to battle, Espeon is the winner! Which means that the gym match goes to Justin Riser!" The battle judge announced.

"YAHOOO! ESPEON, WE WON!" Justin cried out happily as he ran towards Espeon. Espeon turned around and ran back towards its trainer before jumping into his arms.

"I'm so proud of you buddy. We're back."

Espeon purred and nuzzled against his chest. Aly stood up from her seat in the stands and began clapping.

"That Justin Riser. He really did it. He's amazing." She smiled.

Max recalled Raichu back into its Pokeball. "Thanks Raichu. That was a great battle." He said before walking up to Justin.

"Justin, that was an electrifying battle. One of the best I've even participated in." He remarked. Justin looked up right at the gym leader and nodded.

"Well, you're not bad yourself Max. I had so much fun."

"I could tell. Also, I can't help but sense that this victory with your Espeon is an important one."

"…You got that right." Justin smiled as he looked down at Espeon.

"Well, since you're the victor, it's only right that I give you this Citrine badge." Max said as he pulled a yellow lightning bolt shaped badge from his pocket. Justin accepted the badge and bowed to the gym leader.

"Thanks Max." He then showed the badge to Espeon, who then let a happy cry out for their victory. Aly came down from the stands and walked up to Justin.

"You really did it Justin. Congratulations." Aly said as she handed him back his Pokémon egg. Justin let Espeon down on the ground and took the egg.

"Thanks Aly. I also couldn't have done it without your support." He said as they both smiled at each other.

"Well, I better close up now. There's a big festival happening at the City Square tonight and I want to finish this small project before that." Max explained.

"Oh, you're going too?" Aly asked.

"That's great. I'm going to go to the Pokémon Centre to heal my Pokémon and grab a bite first. Maybe we'll see you there." Justin remarked.

"For sure. See you then!" Max said as he waved.

* * *

"Is everything set?"

"Yes Master Zeus. Everything is in order. The entrances have been vacated, and everyone should be making their way to the festival."

"Very good. In 30 minutes, we shall commence the operation and let the world know about Team Immortal…"


	27. Chapter 27 - Citrine City Heist Part 1

_**Long Time no see everybody. Apologize for the extremely long delay. Co-op work, Spring/Summer activities, Anime and most recently, Fire Emblem Awakening (such a good game!) took over my life for the past 2 months. However, the latest chapter is here and the next is being worked on.**_

**Chapter 27 – Citrine City Heist Part 1**

"You're Pokémon are now fully healed. Thank you, and please visit us again." Nurse joy said happily as she gave a tray of Pokeballs back to Justin Riser.

The boy thanked her gratefully before grabbing his Pokeballs and attaching them to their latches on his brown leather belt. He then turned around and began walking back to the Centre's diner. Justin made his way over to a table that had Aly Eatos sitting with food. The Pokémon Eggs that belonged to the 2 trainers were in their respective incubators, sitting on the table.

"Cheers Justin! To your victory at the Citrine Gym!" Aly said, raising her glass of water in the air. Justin grabbed his glass and did the same while smiling.

"Thank Aly! I couldn't have done it without yours or my Pokémon's support." Justin replied.

"Oh…I really haven't done much…"

"No? You're right. It's not you who prepares my Pokémon's food to give them strength. Or you know, help me make them look good and healthy with their appearance. Oh, and you definitely don't help me when I'm sick or in need of energy with good cooked meals. Nope, completely useless…"

"Ok, Ok, I get it!" Aly interrupted, in which the 2 trainers began laughing after.

"Honestly, you're like my own personal trainer. Your work is equally as important."

"You're too kind Justin…but yeah, I guess you're right." Aly smirked as she raised her fork towards her mouth. The 2 trainers began eating while having a random conversation when Nurse Joy unexpectedly showed up in front of their table.

"Excuse me Justin, Aly. I notice you both have Pokémon Eggs. Might I interest you in our Pokémon Egg Care Treatment? It's a process specifically for Pokémon Eggs where we use the latest technology to monitor the health and progress of the Pokémon residing in the egg. That allows us to use the proper treatment methods to ensure your egg is 100% healthy." She explained.

"Wow, you guys can really do that?" Aly asked.

"Let's do it Aly. The eggs can get proper care while we check out this festival!" Justin exclaimed.

"I promise to take care of your Pokémon Eggs. Go ahead and enjoy the festival." Nurse Joy smiled.

"You're not going to it Nurse Joy?" Aly asked.

"Unfortunately not. But it's ok. You got to do what you got to do for Pokémon."

"Well…if you're ok with it, we'll do it."

Aly and Justin proceeded to placing their Pokémon Egg Incubators on the trolley Nurse Joy had. She thanked them and smiled before walking away.

"That's kind of upsetting that Nurse Joy has to miss out on the festival tonight." Aly said.

"I hear ya. But, she has a job to do still. C'mon, let's get a move on so we're not late." Justin replied.

Aly nodded as both trainers quickly finished their meals, cleaned the table and walked out of the Pokémon Centre. The city was illuminated by streetlights that stretched down for miles and gave it a magical ambiance. The lighted signs of stores were being shut off and entrances were beginning to close. Tons of people, dressed in mostly formal attire, were walking in one direction in groups with their Pokémon. They all seemed to be heading towards the festival. Justin and Aly caught a glimpse of some of the formal dressed people. A group of women was clothed in a summer floral dresses, while there was a colour coordinated couple with the man and women wearing a navy blue suit and dress respectively.

"Wow, that woman over there looks so beautiful." Aly said looking at the blue dress lady.

"Look at them…and look at us." Justin remarked. Both trainers looked down at their clothes, Aly wearing her usual white and light green sleeveless top and brown short shorts, and Justin in his white v neck t-shirt, grey long coat and brown chinos.

"Yep, we're going to stand out." They both sighed.

"C'mon now. We're Pokémon Trainers. Of course we're going to have limited choices on what we wear. Let's not let the difference of our clothing bring us down! Besides, there's got to be other trainers there in our position too. Now Aly, my fellow uncoordinated clothed companion, let us march towards the festival where fun and joyfulness shall be realized!" Justin shouted as he began to march like a soldier down the street. Nearby citizens looked on confusedly at the boy.

"Wow. That was almost a pretty good pep talk…until the dramatic last part." Aly remarked, putting her hands on her hips.

"But, that's what makes him Justin." She giggled before running to catch up to him.

* * *

"So, this is the festival eh?" Justin said.

They were currently at the famous Citrine City landmark called "Shine Square", a massive square of concrete land a few feet above the ground right in the heart of the busy city. Up the stairs, there were 2 metal poles standing a good distance apart with a banner, tied to each pole at the top, that read "Welcome to Citrine City's Shine Festival!" There were a plethora of colourful tents set up side by side along the outside of the square and in line formations on the inside. Each of them provided a special service to the visitors such as food, carnival games, souvenirs and much more. Colourful light decorations were placed along the top of the tents, adding a jolly element to the atmosphere of the event under the night sky. The whole place was just packed with many people that included families, old couples and Pokémon trainers.

"It's like almost the entire city is here." Aly exclaimed.

"You're right. It's packed!" Justin added. He then looked at a few Pokémon Trainers who had their Pokémon out with them, dressed in formal clothing as well. Justin and Aly really stood out like sore thumbs.

"What?! Even they're wearing fancy clothes! This is a fun festival, not a formal event! How come we didn't get the memo?!" Justin moaned.

"Aren't you the one who told us not to worry about the clothes we wear?" Aly retorted.

"That's right! We can't be down just because we're dressed way out of character here. We must press on and focus on the matter at hand…having fun at this festival!" Justin exclaimed confidently all of a sudden.

"Exactly. Hey, other people have their Pokémon out. Why not bring out ours?" Aly suggested.

"Good idea!" Justin replied as he grabbed four Pokeballs from his belt and released his Pokémon: Espeon, Combusken, Mudkip and Gible.

"Come on out Squirtle! Vulpix!" Aly said as she released her Pokémon. All of the Pokémon cried out in their respective tongue before looking around, amazed at the scenery.

"All right everyone. We're currently at the Shine Festival now, and there's only one rule. TO HAVE FUN!" Justin shouted out. Aly and all the Pokémon raised their arms in the air and gave shout back before everyone split off into groups to enjoy the festival.

Justin and his Pokémon began browsing through all the food stands, grabbing bits and samples from each tent. There were all kinds of different foods from full meals, soups, fancy appetizers, deserts, and much more.

"Try this Espeon, Mudkip." Justin said as he began feeding his Pokémon with strawberry flavoured crepes. Mudkip smiled brightly after its bite, while Espeon blushed considerably and let out a satisfied purr after eating it.

Justin then heard a bunch of yelling behind him. When he turned around, he saw Gible sitting on the tent's table stand eating away at the freshly cooked Japanese noodles. Combusken and the tent owner were trying to pull the Dragon Pokémon away, but couldn't get it to budge. Justin let out a sigh before walking over the scene of the commotion.

"Gible! C'mon, stop causing trouble!" He yelled. Gible glanced at his trainer, stood up, which caused Combusken and the tent owner to fall over backwards, and jumped towards Justin into his arms while playfully laughing.

"Man, what am I going to do with you?" Justin sighed. He quickly apologized to the tent owner, paid the "stolen" food fee and walked away. After garnering tons of grub, they finally moved away from the food section and towards to souvenir district. This part of the festival was more packed with people, making harder for Justin and his Pokémon to move down the path. Tents were selling various products that included Shine Festival memorabilia, Citrine City doodads, Pokémon accessories and other things. There were a lot of other Pokémon trainers in the area as well, seeing them walking alongside their Pokémon.

"Now, if I know Aly, she's definitely in this section." Justin said to himself while taking a bite of cotton candy. He and his Pokémon began keenly looking for their fellow friend and her Pokémon.

After a few minutes of walking past various tents, Espeon spotted Aly and her Pokémon a few tents further, where they seemed to be examining something.

"Esp-eon." Espeon cried out poking Justin's leg.

"What's up girl?" he asked. Espeon pointed its paw forward to where his friend was standing.

"Oh, I knew she would be here. C'mon gang, let's go." Justin said as he and his Pokémon walked towards where Aly was standing.

* * *

"This place sure is busy." Aly said as she walked down the souvenir aisle of the festival with her Pokémon.

"Listen Squirtle and Vulpix. We don't want to get separated, so try to stay together. If you want to check something out, just let me know. Ok?" She told her Pokémon. They both let out a cry of acknowledgement

"There are so many things being sold here. I should buy something. Maybe some more clothes so I can have variety in my travelling wardrobe?"

"Vulpix!" Vulpix cried out.

"What is it Vulpix?" Aly asked. Vulpix sat on its hind legs and used her front paws to make an outline of a familiar water turtle Pokémon.

"Squirtle?" She responded. It took a while, but she finally got the message.

"Wait! Squirtle! Where are you?" She called out loudly, causing people around her to stare. Aly looked to her left, and then her right. She looked behind herself, and then forward.

"Where could you be?"

"Vul!" Vulpix cried out, pointing its paw out forward. Aly looked in that direction, which then caused her to sigh in relief, but disappointment. In her sight was Squirtle on top of one of the dealer's tables trying on different accessories such as sunglasses and lightning shaped necklaces while checking itself out in the mirror.

"What the heck? What are you doing?" The tent owner exclaimed at the troublesome water Pokémon.

Aly face-palmed herself before slowly walking over to the booth and walking up behind Squirtle. The water Pokémon continued to play dress-up before freezing up after sensing an angry vibe from behind. It slowly turned its head around to find the irritated face of its trainer.

"Would you care to explain Squirtle? What did I say about running off?" Aly said in a semi-evil tone.

The water Pokémon gulped as it knew it was in trouble.

"…You're lucky you look stylish. Let's go." Aly responded before walking away with Vulpix. It took a few seconds for Squirtle to realize it was off the hook before sighing in relief. It took off all the accessories it was wearing, apologized to the tent owner and made way back to its trainer.

"Honestly Squirtle. You're just like Justin, try to pay attention to what I say." Aly remarked.

"Squirtle." Squirtle cried out as it nervously smiled while scratching the back of its head.

The 3 of them continued their walk down the path before Aly stopped and looked to the tent table on her right. She quickly sidetracked over towards it with her Pokémon behind her and examined the merchandise.

"Wow…it's beautiful…" Aly said in awe as she gazed at the jewellery laid out on the table. There were rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets and much more that had beautiful colour, design and appearance. There was one in particular that caught Aly's eye; a silver chained necklace with a small pendant that had shiny yellow gemstone on it in the shape of a cut crystal. The sparkle within the gemstone really caught the eye of Aly as she ogled the piece of jewelry.

"You like it?" The tent owner asked her. Aly looked up at the woman to respond.

"Oh, yes. It's very lovely." Aly replied as she examined the necklace again.

"There you are!" A voice called beside her out of nowhere. A hand was also placed on her right shoulder, which caused her to jump a little. Aly quickly turned around to find her fellow travelling companion smiling.

"Oh, hey Justin…" She said, before looking back at the table. Justin looked in that way as well and saw the merchandise.

"Looks like you're eyeing some of that jewellery. You should buy something for yourself!" Justin exclaimed.

"Well, I would. But, I spent the last of my disposable cash at the Pokémon Centre. I need to save the rest of my money for food and necessities." Aly replied sadly.

"Aww, bummer."

"Oh well. I really liked that necklace there too. I guess it wasn't meant to be."

"Hey, I know something that will lighten your spirits. Let's go to the carnival game section and battle it out!" Justin suggested.

"…Yeah, I could use some fun right now after this disappointing non purchase. Let's go." Aly said as she began walking away.

"Uh, Aly…You walk on ahead."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing. Just go on ahead, I'll catch up in 5 minutes!" Justin said.

"…Ok. I'll see you there then." She said suspiciously before walking away. Once she was out of Justin's sight, he looked over at the tent table Aly was looking at before.

* * *

"What's taking him so long?" Aly asked herself as she and her Pokémon sat on one of the benches in between tents.

"My, my. Look who we have here." A voice called out to Aly on her left. She looked up and saw a familiar looking man with blonde hair.

'Oh, Hi Max!"

"Enjoying the festival so far? Where's your friend?" The gym leader asked.

"It's pretty cool actually! So much stuff and so many people. The whole city must be here. As for Justin, I don't know. He was supposed to be here like 10 minutes ago."

"Hmm, that doesn't seem surprising. But, you're right. I'm pretty sure the whole city is here. This shine festival is a Citrine City tradition. The park space here has enough land to hold the city's population here."

Just then, they both saw Justin and his Pokémon walking their way. Aly then got up from the bench and approached him.

"Geez, what took so you long Sir Late-a lot? Kept me waiting here and worrying about you." Aly spat out while crossing her arms.

"Easy! Relax, I'm here now." Justin said while raising his hands up to calm her down.

"Well, there's a familiar face." Max said as he approached the 2 trainers.

"Max! What's going on buddy?!" Justin exclaimed.

"Not much brother. Just enjoying the festival here. Plus, I'm going to get my game on in some of these carnival matches."

"How about we duel it out. Maybe you can regain some credibility after the loss to me at your gym."

"The trash talking has begun eh? You're on Riser." Max smirked as the 2 guys stared eye to eye.

All of a sudden, there was a super loud microphone screeching sound coming from the various sound speakers that were hanging on the many poles carrying lights. It was so strong that everyone at the festival had to cover their ears. A few seconds later, the screeching stopped and a voice came on.

"Hello Citrine City." The voice stated. Everyone uncovered their ears and started staring at the many sound speakers.

"I hope you're all enjoying the Shine Festival tonight. From what I can see, it looks like everyone's having a good time. But now…I'm afraid this enjoyment will come to an end starting now."

People started to get a little worried after that last sentence. They tensed up and held their loved ones a little more tightly, fearing what may happen to them.

"First off, allow me to introduce myself. I am Zeus, and I am the leader of an organization named Team Immortal."

Justin and Aly both gasped at Zeus' introduction, while Max's expression turned into a serious one as if he knew them. The crowd began talking amongst themselves, mostly in confusion about who Team Immortal was.

"I'm pretty sure that many of you never even heard of Team Immortal before. Allow me to explain. We're a secret syndicate residing in the Minero region for quite some time now, carefully masterminding a plan that will lead Minero towards an age of prosperity and success."

Justin was going to retort something, but was too busy thinking of another thing he noticed.

"_This Zeus…he sounds…so familiar…"_

"Prosperity and success?" Aly stated. "In what mind would they classify their actions as those?"

"Let me finish and I'll explain it." Zeus remarked. Justin and Aly were taken by surprise that their remarks were heard by the Team Immortal Leader. The audience looked at the 2 trainers and became even more nervous.

"As I was saying, Team Immortal's goal is to transform Minero into an advanced civilization where we can accomplish many great things. Most of you know about the ancient legend of the E-C-Mech? On how it can supply one with an unlimited amount of energy with the 3 Minero jewels? Well, we plan to revive this machine, and use it in the present day!"

The crowd gasped as they began to take in what Zeus was saying.

"Just think about it. If we bring back this ancient mechanism, we'd have access to an unlimited supply of energy that can be utilized for anything. Everyday life activities, scientific research, transportation, you name it. We'll make advances in civilization that previous generations millennia ago failed to do!" Zeus cried out.

"All I need to do is uncover the legendary Citrine Jewel from this city. Then, we'll be a step closer to achieving this utopia!"

It was then that the crowd at the festival started to side with Zeus. They were talking amongst each other, discussing what they could use the energy for and how it would make their lives much easier. Some cheers and applause began to resonate from the crowd. Justin and Aly began to look around at the deceived group of people.

"Are they actually agreeing with him?" Justin asked out.

"I thank you all for your praise. I promise to make this dream a reality. Now if you'll-" Zeus said before getting interrupted.

"That won't work!" Max cried out, who suddenly had a microphone in his hands that projected his voice through the speakers as well. The crowd hushed and looked directly at the gym leader.

"If you all remember the legend, civilization was almost wiped out because of this E-C-Mech. People became too greedy and began resorting to violence because of their lust for this energy. A civil war broke out and it was only thanks to the 3 guardians that Minero was saved. If you revive the E-C-Mech, who's to say it won't happen again?" Max explained further.

"But maybe that won't happen!" One person in the crowd rebutted.

"Just because it's the past, doesn't mean it'll occur in the future Max." Another person said. The crowd began to gradually argue at Max's point, leaving the gym leader to fend for himself.

"It seems like the people side with me, dear Max." Zeus said through the speakers. Justin then grabbed the microphone from Max and began to speak.

"Wait just a minute!" Justin yelled in the microphone, which got people to quiet and cover their ears from the loud sound.

"Is there a problem?" Zeus asked calmly.

"Yeah there's a problem. Max's point is valid. Humans are greedy creatures. Once they get a taste of something that powerful, they'll just want more and more and more. Something that strong shouldn't be within the reach of human hands. Especially the likes of you!"

"My, my, whatever do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with us." Aly said, grabbing the microphone from Justin's hands.

"Aly?" Justin gaffed.

"Justin is right. Out of anyone in the world to uncover this mechanism, the last people doing it should be Team Immortal. Do you all not remember the Amethyst Lake incident? Or the takeover of Ruby City? Courage Mountain? Team Immortal put so much people and Pokémon in pain just to get their hands on these jewels and uncover the E-C-Mech. With their track record, putting the keys to the E-C-Mech in their hands is a very big risk. These guys can't be trusted. What if they use it for their own purposes?"

"…Aly…" Justin said as he looked on at his friend, who took a deep breath after blurting out that speech.

"What do you have to say to that Zeus?" Aly shot back.

The crowd at the festival began to remember those incidents from the television or radio. All of a sudden, those previous cheers and applause turned into boos and heckling. While it was all towards the speakers stationed around the festival, Zeus could hear it all loud and clear.

"…Well, this is an unfortunate turn of events. I was going to do this even if I got the crowd's opinion." Zeus announced.

"We will not let anyone get in our way!"

All of a sudden, the ground of the festival began to rumble intensely as if an earthquake was happening. People began screaming as some lost their balance and fell over while others tried to stand their ground. Aly held onto Justin's arm tightly as the 2 trainers tried to keep their balance. Tents around the festival started to collapse, with merchandise and food falling on the floor. Then, one person called out and pointed to their left. Everyone looked on to see a metal wall slowly rise up from the ground.

"Justin! What's going on?!" Aly shouted out.

Justin looked on at the strange phenomena, eyes widened and speechless. All four sides of Shine Square had tall metal walls rise from the ground to about 50 meters high. The sides of the walls connected with each other, creating a square barrier that enclosed the festival and trapped everyone from leaving. From a distance, these walls looked like nothing could penetrate them. The crowd began to panic as they all ran all over the place, causing madness and chaos to ensue. Max got separated from Justin and Aly due to getting pushed away from all the running citizens.

"Quick Aly, return all the Pokemon!" Justin cried out.

"Right!" Aly replied. Soon after, Justin and Aly quickly got out their Pokeballs and returned all the Pokemon. Right after, they were forced to move in the direction that the crowd was running in. If someone was standing still, they would either get caught in the tide or fall down and risked getting trampled.

"None of you will get in our way. Now that I've all got you trapped in here." Zeus announced from the microphone.

A few moments later, Team Immortal Grunts started dropping in from the sky via rocket jet packs and called out various Pokémon from Pokeballs such as Mightyena, Drapion and Golem. The grunts commanded their Pokémon to fire out special attack moves towards citizens. Citizens continued to run away, trying to find some way to escape this hellish nightmare. Soon, there were enough grunts and Pokémon to block and corner people. The threatening attacks made the festival guests cower in fear, eventually obeying orders of the grunts to move towards certain areas and keep their mouths shut. However, there were some people who were willing to fight back.

"You won't get away with this!" Pokémon trainers shouted as they tried to fight off Team Immortal grunts with their Pokémon. Multiple battles ensued at various locations, creating major damages of property from attacks missing the targets. Trainers also began teaming up in order to take down larger numbers of grunts.

"We can do this!" The trainers shouted together.

However, it was all for naught. There were just way too many grunts to handle. As trainers knocked out 3 or 4 grunts, another 7-8 appeared to attack again. The non-stop battles and overwhelming grunt force eventually led to exhaustion from trainers and their Pokémon, forcing them to surrender and cooperate with the grunt's orders. It didn't take long before Team Immortal had complete control over the Shine festival crowd, which consisted of almost the entire Citrine City population. Grunts had people sitting on the ground with their hands up, fear and uncertainty instilled into their minds.

"Rest assured, this is a necessary step towards our mission. While our methods may be a tad foul, it is paramount that we get exactly what we desire. Once we obtain our treasure, we will leave this city. If you cooperate, no harm shall be done. Thank you, and please be patient." Zeus said before signing off.

* * *

Justin and Aly popped their heads out from behind a fallen tent, looking on at the Team Immortal grunts patrolling the area containing citizens. The 2 trainers eventually got out of the tide of people and hid during the entire commotion, evading the grunt's sight.

"Why did we just hide here Aly? I should have helped all those trainers." Justin whispered.

"You saw what was going on. They all had no chance. You being there wasn't going to help them a lot. Be thankful we're not caught now." Aly said back.

"But still…"

"What we need to do now is find a way to get out of here. Then, we can contact the police to help us free everyone."

"…you're right." Justin nodded. Just then, both trainers heard a "psst" noise coming from there left. They looked over and found Max, who was hiding behind another fallen tent, signalling Justin and Aly to come over to where he was.

"It's Max." Justin said. The 2 trainers looked around to make sure the coast was clear before scurrying over.

"I'm glad you guys are ok." Max whispered.

"Same to you. But now what?"

"We need to get out of here. To the outside and get help. There's a secret underground passage that leads to my gym. Follow me." Max explained before getting up and running away. Justin and Aly quickly got up and followed the gym leader away from the Team Immortal crowd. They came across a random food tent that was still standing up. Max went behind the table stand, swiped away some fallen food on the ground to the side and found a rope tied to the ground. Once he pulled on the rope, a small square of the ground lifted as well, revealing a flight of stairs that lead to a dark area.

"No way!" Justin exclaimed.

"Cool. But…why here?" Aly asked curiously.

"Well…actually that's not important." Max chuckled nervously. "But, what is important is that we quickly get out of here and seek help."

Both trainers nodded as they all walked down the stairs underground, with Max entering last before shutting the square hole in the ground.

"_Team Immortal will not get away with this. But…" _Justin thought to himself.

"_Zeus' voice…I know it from somewhere…"_


	28. Chapter 28 - Citrine City Heist Part 2

_**AN: Hello readers. Chapter 28 is up and running. It's a bit long, but hopefully it wont be too much of a problem. Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 28 – Citrine City Heist Part 2**

"Keep it up kids. We need to resurface and contact the police!" Max remarked as he, Justin and Aly continued to make their way through an underground path of Citrine City. The path down below Citrine Square was completely man-made. There were solid floor tiles on the ground, steel walls to the sides, and lamplights sticking out from the walls that illuminated the area. However, the spacing was really tight, so people who made their way through here had to walk slowly. Max was just barely below the ceiling, while Justin and Aly had no more than 3 feet of space between them and the side walls.

"Are you responsible for this path?" Aly asked curiously.

"Of course! It leads to my gym after all. I had it built so that way I can reach Citrine Square anytime I'd like to!" Max chuckled.

"Um…don't you think it's a bit extreme? You couldn't have just walked there from the outside?"

"…I had my reasons. Anyway, those aren't important. Let's focus on the now, okay?"

"By the way Max. When we were at the Shine Festival and Zeus came on the mic, I noticed you had a bit of anger in your expression. I take it you're not a fan of Team Immortal as well?" Aly asked.

"Not one bit. Like what you said in your speech back there, the way they handle things is just plain wrong. I remember watching the news about Ruby City and Amethyst Lake. It's just completely messed up and wrong the things they did. And now they want to uncover the ECM? That's a disaster waiting to happen." Max explained.

"And that Zeus guy." He continued. "Man, what a guy. Locking everyone up like that in the Shine Festival. He's just plain evil, right Justin?"

"…Oh! Uh, yeah, for sure. That guy needs to get his can kicked!" Justin exclaimed.

"_Right…Zeus. I definitely agree with what Max said. But…why does it feel like I've heard his voice somewhere before?"_ Justin thought to himself.

"We're here!" Max called out, in which the group stopped walking. Up above was a tile that was a different colour than all the other ones in the ceiling. Max pushed the tile upwards with his hands, which revealed a room filled with light. He grabbed the sides of the open ceiling and pulled himself up through the hole.

"All righty. Grab on now." Max said as he extended his hand down towards the 2 trainers.

Both trainers were pulled up through the hole and up to the surface. They were currently in Max's gym, right in the center of the battlefield for gym battles.

"Wow. It actually led back to the gym." Aly said surprised.

"That's amazing Max!" Justin exclaimed. Just then, a tall man wearing formal clothing entered through the battlefield entrance.

"Jimbo!" Max cried out.

"Max! What are you doing here? I thought you'd be off at the Shine Festival." Jimbo said confused.

"I was, but then something eventful happened. Team Immortal has trapped everyone by raising giant steel walls from the ground to barricade the entire Citrine Square. I'm sure you felt the rumbling before. Luckily these kids and I were able to escape through the secret passage way I dug years ago. But, no time for chit-chat. We have to go and warn the authorities!"

"That's just awful! Yes, the gym here was shaking immensely. I thought there was an earthquake! I was so frightened that I hid in one of the lounge rooms. But I'm glad to see you're all right. That damn Team Immortal. Show them a thing or two Max!"

"I hear ya! C'mon kids, let's go straight to the police station pronto." Max stated. They all nodded and ran through the gym and out of the entrance. To their left, they examined the gigantic stone walls pillared around the Citrine Square area. No one was present on the streets, nor was there any lights on from the windows of the surrounding escarpments.

"Those fiends! How could they ruin a fun festival like this?! That's so not cool!" Justin growled.

"The station is just around the block. Let's go."

Justin, Aly and Max proceeded at a moderate pace down the street. They arrived in front of the station and entered through the front doors. An officer was stationed at the front desk, just finishing with a call as she put the phone back on the ringer.

"Excuse me miss! We need to see Officer Jenny! It's an emergency!" Justin exclaimed.

"Is this about the Citrine Square Barricade?" The officer asked.

"Yes it is." Aly responded.

"Jenny and our squadrons are already on the scene. You three should find cover."

"No can do miss. We have vital information about the incident. Like about Team Immortal and the Citrine Jewel." Max said.

"Team Immortal eh?..." The officer looked into all of their eyes that were filled with determination and confidence.

"They're at the west entrance. I'll radio Jenny to notify her about you guys."

"Thank you very much miss." Aly said graciously.

"All right! To the west entrance!" Justin cried out. The 2 trainers and Max exited the station and made their way down several streets towards Citrine Square. Max ran pretty fast, with Justin a little behind him. Aly however jogged at a moderate pace to where she was at least 10-15 feet behind the guys.

"_I have to play it safe now. I don't want another incident to occur in the middle of this…"_ Aly thought to herself.

* * *

Justin, Aly and Max finally made it to the west entrance of Citrine Square, where several amounts of police cars were parked all around. Policemen and women were everywhere either conversing with each other, on their walkie-talkie radios, or examining the giant stone walls.

"I see Jenny!" Justin shouted as he pointed to his left. A couple of meters down was Officer Jenny talking to 2 figures in brown hooded robes. They appeared to be the custody of the police since they were on their knees and arms behind their backs.

"Those look like Team Immortal Goons." Aly mentioned.

"Let's go to her." Max said as he and the trainers made their way over towards her.

"I'll ask one more time. What are your intentions here?" Jenny asked the 2 grunts in a stern tone.

"Sorry, we're not going to budge. Take us away if you want." One of the grunts barked.

"That's some loyalty you got there." Jenny smirked. She then turned around as she heard footsteps heading her way. She caught a glimpse of 2 trainers and a tall man with blonde hair that she recognized.

"Max, is that you?!"

"Jenny. You look as lovely as ever." Max remarked with a suave expression.

"I thought you were trapped in the Square, seeing how you babbled about going to this festival all week."

"I was there, but I escaped. These 2 trainers here, Justin and Aly, were with me when the whole chaos started. But, let's cut to the chase. I have some important details you'd like to hear."

"How'd you escape?!" One of the Team Immortal grunts asked baffled.

"Easy. I had an underground tunnel that connected the Citrine Square and my gym." Max explained.

"Don't worry about them Max. Details, now." Jenny said.

"I'll give them to you!" Justin interrupted.

"Kid, you should seek safety."

"Sorry Jenny, but I ain't leaving. I'm not letting Team Immortal get away with any more schemes after what they've pulled here." Justin said confidently.

"Hmm. Fine. Well let's hear it then." Jenny said.

"Ok. Team Immortal has trapped the whole city in Citrine Square thanks to these mammoth steel walls. Their main objective is to locate the Citrine Jewel for their true mission of reviving the ECM machine of Minero. Aly and I have gone through this before."

"Wait, you guys were part of the Ruby City incident?" Max asked.

"That's right. And let me tell you, what they did to all those Poke-Tab employees was wrong. And now look, they've done the exact same thing to all those innocent people who wanted nothing more than to enjoy a festival. They need to be stopped…"

There was a moment of silence as Jenny looked at a determined Justin.

"You've got guts kid. Well, I guess we better find a way to stop Team Immortal's search then." Jenny remarked with a smile. "Now, anyone have any bright ideas where it might be?"

"Um…I think I might know." Aly peeped out.

"Let's hear it then Aly." Max said.

"It's just a hunch, but I might have an idea thanks to our experience at Ruby City. When looking back, there were some key elements to Team Immortal's scheme. One is that the excavation site of the jewel took place at the bottom of a major building, which was the Poke-tab Corporation in Ruby City. Next, Team Immortal trapped those who were in that building so there was no interference. The last thing I can remember builds off the last point. The Poke-Tab employees knew of the on-going construction that was happening in the basement of their corporation, but didn't think it was for uncovering a lost ancient jewel." Aly explained.

"Now, if we look at this situation, 2 of the 3 things can be argued. The jewel could be under Citrine Square, which above is where Team Immortal has kept everyone captive

"We can attest to your third argument was well. There has been ongoing construction around Citrine Square for the past year. Although, no one really knows what they're doing there since it's been underground most of the time." Max added.

"I don't know. Couldn't this just a coincidence?" Jenny remarked.

"Well…I never said that this is the case. Just a theory based off what happened last time is all…" Aly said.

"What Aly says makes sense. In Ruby City, there was also an elevator that had a hidden switch which lead to a tunnel further underground." Justin claimed.

"Would there be elevators in the sewers kid?" Jenny asked.

"Well, no…but…"

"While there might be some things to her point, I'm not sure if this is the way to go."

"It's worth a shot!" Aly cried out. Everyone then focused their attention on her, causing her to turn red and sweat a little.

"I mean…do you have any other leads right now?" She added

"…I guess not. But, how do we know it'll be like your theory this time?" Jenny remarked.

"I can't guarantee that I'm right, but we won't get anything done just debating. Like Justin, I don't want to see people and Pokémon get hurt from Team Immortal anymore. Please trust me Jenny. If I'm wrong, I'll get out of your way." Aly stated as she moved right up to Jenny, standing only inches away from her.

Jenny sensed the same kind of determination and confidence from her than she did with Justin.

"_These kids really want to make a difference…" _Jenny thought to herself. Aly then realized what she was doing and back away quickly.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to be so forward! It's just how I feel! It's ok if you don't want me here anymore!" Aly remarked as she bowed her head down. After thinking it over, Jenny smirked and made up her mind.

"Aly was it? I'm counting on your hunch to be right." Jenny said. Aly gasped as she began to lift her head up.

"I hope it is too." She smiled.

"Gardiner! Reilly! Take squads D and E and investigate the south sewers. Patch, PK and Price! Take C &amp; F and look at the west. Bobrovsky! You're on the case! You and squad A will come with me, Max and the kids to explore the north!" Jenny yelled out with authority. All the policemen saluted, crying out "Yes Ma'am!" before breaking out. Jenny went to go to her police care to grab some things for this mission.

"I'm impressed Aly. Coming up with that hunch back there. You've got a detective like mind-set." Max remarked to Aly before walking away towards Jenny. Aly couldn't help but string a smile at Max's comments. Justin then walked up in front of her.

"That was great Aly. You're becoming more assertive with your feelings. And with the head of the Citrine Police Force nonetheless. That takes some mad confidence!" Justin commented.

"Heh…well, I'll admit it was probably one of the more nerve-wracking things I've done. Besides, you have even more confidence than me. So, you would have said something eventually if I didn't." Aly giggled softly.

"Maybe, but that wasn't the case here. It was you who said something. You who stood up and asserted your gut feeling. That's another big step for you! And I'm proud to say I was there to witness it!"

"You make me sound like I'm a little kid!" Aly argued playfully.

"Haha! My bad, totally didn't mean to. One thing is good though. We share the same drive to stop Team Immortal. Now, let's go crash their party!"

"Right!"

* * *

"C'mon everyone. Stick together and be on the lookout for anything!" Jenny yelled. Her voice echoed throughout the sewer tunnel that everyone was in. Policemen had flashlights lit in order to brighten the darkened areas. The tunnel diameter was pretty large, where the ladder climb down was a good 5 meters. The walls were pretty damp while the air was thick and had a gross stench. Everyone walked along the right side of the tunnel where there was a cement path. Water flowed downstream right in the middle of the tunnel. Many construction items such as tools, yellow tape and broken concrete were on the left.

"Yeesh. It sure smells down here." Justin whined.

"What did you expect? It's a sewer man." Max replied.

"These guys weren't messing around. Look at all these tools." Jenny remarked as she scanned the left side of the tunnel. She then turned her attention back to the sewer grid map, which was pretty complex. There were about 20 different directions that the group could venture to.

"See anything suspicious yet men?" Jenny asked her squad.

"That's a negative, ma'am." Bobrovsky replied.

"Hmm. Patch's and Reilly's group both reported nothing either."

"I'm sure we'll find it eventually!" Justin cried out.

"Last time it was your Espeon who found it while still an Eevee." Aly mentioned.

"You're right! C'mon on out Espeon!" Justin called out as he released the Psychic Pokémon from its Pokeball.

"Esp!" Espeon cried out.

"All right Espeon! I'm going to need your Aly-like detective skills to help us search for something Team Immortal-like suspicious!"

"Es-pee!" The Pokémon replied as it walked on ahead. The group followed on ahead. The jewel on Espeon's forehead was lit up, most likely for extra light to illuminate the way. Every tunnel that linked looked pretty much the same, making it hard for the group to find any leads.

"We don't seem to be getting anywhere." Jenny said.

"I guess maybe they're not here." Max added.

"Esp!" Espeon cried out as its ears started to twitch. The psychic Pokémon started to run down the tunnel before turning left to another tunnel.

"Wait up Espeon!" Justin yelled as he chased his Pokémon down. The entire group followed him and turned the corner to find Espeon staring at the curved tunnel wall. It looked no different than any other wall, minus the excess dirt on it.

"What is it girl? Did you find something?" Justin asked as he caught up to Espeon. Espeon faced him and nodded. The red light coming from its jewel then disappeared.

"I wonder if Espeon was using some sort of psychic power from its gemstone." Aly pondered.

"Maybe. But, she led us here. So, there's got to be something-" Justin said before tripping over his own feet and landing head first into the tunnel wall.

Everyone, which included Aly, Max, Jenny, Bobrovsky and the rest of the police squad to let out a big "ooo" sound. All of a sudden though, part of the wall that Justin's head hit into moved deeper into the wall. A giant square in the wall beside Justin moved outwards and slid to the left, revealing a metal door with buttons on the side.

"Damn, that hurt." Justin moaned as he picked himself up and massaged the top of his head.

"Well now. Would have never expected that to happen!" Jenny said with a laugh. She patted Justin on the back as she walked over to push the down button.

"Espeon!" Espeon cried out worriedly to its trainer.

"Ah, don't worry about me pal. I'll be fine! High-five for finding this! You're amazing as always!" Justin said as he extended is palm. Espeon let out a happy cry before lifting its paw to pat Justin's hand.

"Nice work Justin. You're as clumsy as ever!" Aly giggled.

"Way to use your head!" Max smirked before laughing.

""Haha. You all think you're so funny." Justin said unimpressed.

"The good news is that you and you're Pokémon found this. Bobrovsky, have 2 of your men stay and radio the other squads to rendezvous here. The rest of us will head on ahead first!" Jenny explained.

"Yes ma'am!" Bobrovsky saluted before giving orders to his subordinates. Moments later, the elevator doors opened.

"All right, let's go in. You kids sure you want to still go through with this?" Jenny asked seriously.

Both Justin and Aly gave a nod to the police officer head.

"Very well."

Justin, Espeon, Aly. Max, Jenny, and the rest of the police squad got in the surprisingly large elevator cart. There was only 2 buttons inside the elevator; one for going up and one for going down. The doors closed, Jenny pressed the lower button and the elevator descended.

"_I wonder if we'll see Zeus down there. That voice of his…it's still bothering me."_ Justin thought to himself. He then felt a little tug on the arm of his jacket. Aly was clenching onto a small part of it, causing it to pull her way.

"You ok?" Justin asked his friend.

"Oh…sorry Justin. Um, just a little nervous. I don't normally crash evil organization's plots that often." Aly said as she let go of Justin's jacket.

"Me neither, but we have to do this and help everyone in Citrine Square. Just have fun with it!"

"Have fun?"

"Well, that's the way I look at life. It helps get you through tough and stressful situations. You do things that you want and love to do. For me, that's being with my Pokémon and battling alongside them. Together we can do anything as long as we have fun." Justin explained.

"Oh, what it is like to be young." Max commented.

"Words of advice. There will be some times where that mindset will get you into trouble." Jenny added. Justin and Aly looked up at her, who kept a straight face while looking at the elevator doors.

"Well, I think it's done more good for me than bad." Justin remarked.

"Whatever you say Justin."

The conversation ended as the entire group continued to wait for the elevator to reach its destination. Couple of seconds later, the elevator's descent speed began to slow down before coming to a full stop. The bell rang as the doors slid opened, revealing another dark tunnel with lamp lights hung on the top part of the walls. The group walked out of the elevator and into the dim-lit tunnel.

"This is total Deja-vu man. Just like Ruby City." Justin pointed out.

"If we follow this path, I'm sure we'll find Team Immortal's excavation site." Aly added.

"Be on the lookout everybody." Max warned.

"Get ready Espeon." Justin said to his Pokémon.

"Espeon!" Espeon cried out.

Soon enough, the group reached the end of the tunnel and into a large illuminated cave. Just like before, there were many Team Immortal contraptions all around the area such as construction vehicles, digging tools, super computers, and many more. The earth and walls were flat, while many steel beams were positioned to hold the top of the cave and prevent it from collapsing. Right in the middle of the area, there was a large hole. This was definitely a Team Immortal Jewel excavation site. There was one difference however; the fact that not one single Team Immortal member was present. No one was manning the bulldozers, occupying the computers, or on watch out duty.

"Where did they all go?!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Maybe we're too late?!" Max added.

Just then, the ground beneath the group lifted them a few feet off the ground onto a metal square platform. On each side of the square, metal bars rose 2 meters perpendicular of the base. Once at the appropriate height, another metal square was formed on the top, trapping the entire group.

"Hey! What's going on here?!" Justin cried out as he ran to edge of the trap. As his hands gripped the bars, an electric shock struck his body and caused him to get knocked backwards onto his butt.

"Espeon!" Espeon cried out worriedly, rushing to the side of its trainer.

"Justin!" Aly called out. Max, Jenny and she ran to his other side to see if the boy was all right. Aly kneeled down and placed her hand on Justin's back for support.

"Man that stung. Looks like we're trapped though." Justin remarked.

"Oh yes. Trapped you are, my friends." A voice echoed through the cave, which got the attention of all who were trapped in the metal cage.

Right in the middle of the cave where the large hole in the ground was, a metal platform rose from the hole that carried a number of hooded brown robed figures. In the middle, there was one figure was in black robes and wore an evil yellow mask. On his left was a tall, familiar face that was dressed in red robes.

"Hey, I know that guy. It's Hades!" Justin yelled out.

"My, My. Look Zeus, its Justin Riser. What a catch this is, wouldn't you think?!" Hades dabbled out loud. Zeus remained still and said nothing like he didn't even hear him.

"So, that is Zeus. The leader of Team Immortal." Max said. He began to examine the leader among his subordinates. He was certainly one of the more noticeable ones of the group due to his attire and height. But, it was hard to tell his power and strength.

"Team Immortal! I demand that you release us at once!" Officer Jenny demanded.

"You're in no position to demand anything Officer." Zeus said firmly. He and Hades began to walk over towards the trapped heroes.

"You won't get away with this! You hear me?!" Justin yelled out again. "Espeon, try using your psybeam to break the bars."

"Esp-eon!" Espeon cried out as it unleashed a colourful beam of energy from the gemstone on its forehead. The attack hit the bars, but the electric charge neutralized the attack.

"It's no use Justin. There's no getting out of this trap." Hades claimed.

"Justin, you know this guy?" Max asked.

"Oh yes. We're quite familiar with each other. He and the girl were the brats who tried to stop me from obtaining the Ruby Jewel. But, Justin and I go back even further!"

"I…I don't know who you are...so shut up about that!" Justin exclaimed.

"Oh my, you're a piece of work. Well, why don't I just reveal my true identity to you now! Or better yet, maybe Zeus should reveal his too!" Hades laughed maniacally. Zeus then raised his arm right in front of Hades to stop.

"That's enough Hades. Don't you even think about revealing who we are." Zeus said with a powerful tone. Justin, Aly, Max and the Police force were surprised to hear him say that with such authority.

"_That voice. It's so familiar. Why can't I put a face on him?!" _Justin thought to himself.

"You're no fun at all. Whatever you say sir." Hades muttered. Zeus then turned to the trapped group and walked right up to the cage. He looked down on Justin and Aly.

"You two have caused us the most trouble. I've heard a great deal about both of you from Caius and Raiza. To think that two of my strongest grunts would have trouble with kids like you. You're something special." Zeus said calmly. He then pulled something out of his robe pocket.

"But look here." In his hand was a round, yellow shiny object that glittered beautifully.

"The Citrine Jewel! It's real!" Jenny gasped at the sight of it.

"I'm afraid you're too late. We already have the jewel in our possession. I have a piece of advice for both of you. Stay out of our way. We are performing something that will benefit man-kind in the long run. And especially you, Justin Riser." Zeus explained.

"What…what do you mean, especially me?" Justin said nervously. He was trembling a little as the robed man looked down upon him.

"In time, you will see."

"Zeus! Why did you trap everyone at the Shine Festival! Did you have to go through all that trouble and cause harm to all the innocent people there!" Aly cried out.

"I can assure you that no harm has been done to those at the Shine Festival." Zeus replied calmly.

"Even so, what was the point of trapping everyone there?"

"Well, I guess I have some time to divulge. You see, Team Immortal has been in secret for the past few years. It was only about a few months ago that we felt we were ready to go public with our initiatives. The Ruby City and Amethyst Lake missions were supposed to be still kept secret, but somehow you and Justin interfered with us and leaked our name out there. Here, Team Immortal felt that it was time for the whole to reveal ourselves entirely and our true goal. While it was only broadcasted to the people of the Shine festival by microphone, I was also filmed during that speech. We took over every single major television network to show that speech. Not even a few hours after and we have some support from major politicians. This will initially be a shock to everyone at first, but give them time and they'll see the light. We are going to advance humanity the way our ancestors failed to do so! By the time we do, everyone will appreciate our efforts!"

"That's crazy! How do we know you're not going to use it for yourselves?!" Justin shot back.

"I have personal reasons on the line too. That is my drive, the reason I am doing this. For them, and for y-" Zeus said before stopping himself from saying anymore. The group trapped in the cage started to take Zeus' explanation all in, having mixed emotions on the subject.

"As I told you before. The ECM was sealed for a reason. This is going to be a repeat of the past." Max mentioned.

"We shall see young man. Now, we'll be on our way." Zeus muttered before turning around to walk back to his Team Immortal group. Hades looked on at his leader before glancing at Justin one more time.

"I'll give you a hint Justin. You were very little when we first met, so I doubt you'll remember me. But, you used to enjoy my company every time we saw each other. Now, bon voyage!" Hades exclaimed as he joined Zeus in walking.

"I feel so useless right now. We're just going to let them get away!" Jenny remarked angrily.

"We didn't make it in time after all…" Max sighed.

"We must stop them. Men, call out your Pokémon and try to break the cage!"

"Yes ma'am!" The police officers shouted out as they called out their Pokémon. Many Growlithe and Houndour came out, who all proceeded to using flamethrower on the bars of the cage. Even with all the firepower, there wasn't even a scratch on the cage.

"Keep trying. We have to break free!" Jenny shouted.

"Go, Jolteon and Raichu! Use Thunderbolt!" Max shouted as he called out his Pokémon to try and destroy the cage.

"Combusken and Mudkip! Help us out!" Justin yelled, releasing his Pokémon as well.

Zeus and Hades continued to walk back towards metal platform in the middle of the cave.

"Should we repeat ourselves that the cage is indestructible?" Hades smirked.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. It's not meant to withstand that many attacks. Just take a look." Zeus replied back. Hades looked behind him to see some of the bars breaking off the cage.

"This isn't good. Quickly sir, we must leave at once!"

Hades and Zeus quickly made their way back to the platform, which then began to slowly ascend upwards. By that time, the metal cage trap had been destroyed by the Pokémon.

"All right! We did it!" Justin yelled out.

"Now, we have to stop Team Immortal from getting away!" Jenny added. The whole group began to run as fast as they could towards the metal platform. But, even with their running speed, the platform was rising to an unreachable height.

"Max! Get ready to give me a boost!" Justin cried out as they were 3 quarters of the way there.

"Man, you are nuts. But hey, I'll roll with it!" Max responded. The gym leader quickly ran ahead before stopping in his tracks just before the platform and placed his hands together. Justin ran up to him and jumped with one leg onto Max's hands. Max then used his strength to catapult Justin upwards into the air. The boost was just enough for Justin to grab onto the edge of the platform.

"All right Justin!" Aly cheered, who was way behind everyone else.

"Stop them Justin!" Jenny yelled to him.

"Will do!" Justin shouted back towards them. He then turned his head forward to find a scary looking yellow mask right up in his face.

"Um, dude. That's creepy. Plus, invasion of personal space here." Justin remarked with sass.

"You haven't grown up yet, have you? You should have listened to your father. To stay away with our affairs." Zeus said.

Justin's eyes widened at his comment. Zeus then stood up and used his foot to quickly kick Justin off the platform, who began falling down to the ground.

"JUSTIN!" Aly cried out worriedly.

"JUSTIN NO!" Max yelled as he saw the boy falling head first towards the ground.

Justin remained frozen at Zeus' final words with his eyes widened, hair waving in his face. It didn't even register to him that he was falling from a high platform.

"_My…father?"_ He thought.

Just then, he felt a big bump on his back. His descending speed gradually began to slow before coming to a halt. Justin found himself lying on the back on something. He looked to his left and right and found a pair of wings with red feathers. Its head had a large plume of white feathers than spread down to its neck. Its tail feathers were red with a yellow and blue pattern at the very bottom.

"Brave!" The bird cried out majestically.

"A Braviary!" Jenny exclaimed.

The Avian Pokémon flew to the ground and lightly slid Justin off its back onto the earth. It then locked eyes with Justin, giving a cold stare to the trainer.

"Braviary?" Justin muttered. The Pokémon quickly flapped its wings and flew upwards to return to Zeus.

"Thanks Braviary. Return." Zeus said as he returned the Pokémon to its Pokeball.

"Justin!" Aly called out. Justin looked behind him and found his friend making her way towards him.

"Are you all right?" She asked as she knelt down near him.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine." Justin replied. They both looked up at the platform, and found Zeus and Hades looking down upon them.

All of a sudden, there were heavy rumblings coming from within the cave that caused everyone to fall down. The top part began to slowly slide open as if it were doors. Bright lights were visible from the opening of the cave, with familiar lampposts and decorations also present. They were right under Citrine Square where the festival was taking place. The platform continued to rise even higher above the ground. Soon, a helicopter was visible from the underground cave. It flew to the edge of metal platform, where Zeus, Hades and the other Team Immortal grunts jumped into its body. After loading all the passengers, the helicopter flew away.

"They got away…again…" Aly sighed.

"Justin!" Max called out as he, Jenny and the police force ran up to him.

"That was some pretty dangerous stuff there kid." Jenny heckled at him.

"Heh…yeah. I guess that was a little reckless." Justin said softly.

"Are you hurt at all?"

"Well, my back and shoulder don't feel too good. But, I'll live."

"You should get some medical help at the Pokémon Center. The Police will take it from here. Thank you both for all of your help." Jenny stated as she saluted to Justin and Aly. She then starting to discuss the events with the squad and gave further orders.

"Let me help with your injuries." Aly said as she used her sweater to form an arm sling for Justin. The trainer thanked his friend for her help before greeting his Pokémon and thanking them for their help as well.

* * *

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Justin yelled out in pain. Nurse Joy was massaging his back with a certain kind of cream to ease his back pain. Although, judging from the sounds Justin was making, it seemed more like the opposite.

"That should reduce the pain a little. Keep that sling on your arm for a day or 2. Take it easy and you should be back to normal." Nurse Joy explained.

"Thanks Nurse Joy."

"By the way, your Pokémon Eggs are ready for pick up. Just as me at the front lobby and I'll be sure to return it to you."

After that, Nurse Joy bowed and left the room. Out went Nurse Joy, and in came Aly.

"So, how you feeling?" Aly asked.

"Could be better, but it could be worse I guess." Justin replied.

"I gave some sitrus berries to your Pokémon to recover their strength."

"You're the best Aly!"

"Ah! There you are!" said a voice from the recovery room entrance. Justin and Aly looked over to find a tall, blonde hair man walking in.

"Hey Max!" Justin said.

"You feeling all right?" Max asked.

"Could be better, but it could be worse too." Justin repeated himself.

"Just thought I let you two in on the scoop, Officer Jenny and her police force are still investigating the scene. Apparently the construction company that was hired at the start of the construction has up and vanished, which is super suspicious. Also, no one was hurt at the Shine Festival. Turns out that Team Immortal moved everyone to the sides of the festival. That way, when Zeus and Hades made their escape, no one would get hurt. That hole in the ground was right in the middle of the Shine Square, so nobody was near to be at risk of falling in." Max explained.

"So that's why Team Immortal moved everyone to the side." Aly remarked

"Indeed. The giant steels walls have lowered back into the grounds, and it's planned to remove them sometime this year."

"Still, Team Immortal got away. Even after all that work we did." Justin said, punching the bed he was sitting on.

"Hey man. We tried our best. All we can do now is try to prevent them from obtaining the third jewel and uncovering the ECM." Max said consoling him.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Oh, and Aly. Officer Jenny wanted to give her personal thanks to you."

"To me?" Aly said surprised.

"Of course. It was because of your hunch that we were able to find Team Immortal in the first place. Jenny was very impressed by you. She wanted to thank you in person, but was too busy with the investigation. You have my thanks as well." Max explained.

"Oh, why thank you." Aly smiled.

"Both of you should take a break from these Team Immortal shenanigans and continue with your journey…after Justin gets better that is."

"Ugh…I don't want to think about Team Immortal for a while. Those hooded creeps give me headaches. Such a pain for a superstar like me to deal with." Justin whined dramatically. Aly and Max looked at each other, and burst out laughing at Justin's attitude.

Justin smiled at his friends before turning away and looking downwards.

"_How could I not think about Team Immortal after today? They now have 2 of the 3 legendary jewels right now. And Zeus…I still don't know who he is. And he knows my father? This just confuses the crap out of me even more…"_

_**AN: For those of you who got the hockey references, kudos to you! #GHG**_


	29. Chapter 29 - Hero (in training) is Born!

_**AN: This is the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy. Til next time.**_

**Chapter 29 – A Hero (in training) is Born!**

It had been about 3 days since the Team Immortal incident at Citrine City. There had been no further leads on the evil syndicate, but the city was able to establish a plan for reconstruction of the damages to Shine Square. Justin, whose injuries had fully recovered, and Aly left the city and ventured southeast towards the next gym that was Emerald City. However, the way to get there required the trainers to travel through a different environment in which they hadn't experienced in Minero so far.

Enter the Emerald Forest. A large forest region that connected Citrine City and Emerald City. The area was lush green with many tall trees and shrubs surrounding the trainers. Small amounts of sunlight filtered through the top branches, giving a light and dark pattern to appear on the ground. There was the smell of compositing leaves in the air as they walked through the crackling branches on the ground.

"Look at this forest. It's so green and beautiful!" Aly claimed as she looked all around.

"It's pretty neat, yet strange, that there's a forest all the way up north." Justin added.

During their travels to Citrine City via route 405 north, the landscape was less green and more rugged. This forest contradicted the previous path entirely, with nature and green life all over the place. The weather was very warm and nice as well, contrast from the cool and brisk air on route 405.

"I don't know about you, but I'm getting hungry." Justin said.

"But we just ate like an hour ago." Aly remarked.

"C'mon Aly! It's a small request. You always request to take plenty of rest breaks while we travel. What's one little food request by me? "

"That's because I…I…fine, you win."

"Yippee!" Justin cried out happily.

* * *

Justin and Aly settled around the stump of a large tree and set out the large cloth to relax on. They both let out all of their Pokémon to enjoy the nature view and air as well. Espeon, Gible, Mudkip and Squirtle were running around playing while Combusken and Vulpix simply lied down on the grass. Justin watched both of his and Aly's Pokémon Eggs, which were inside of their respective incubators, on both sides of him while Aly set up a mini table to prepare food for Justin and their Pokémon. Justin took off his newly bought red jacket, folded it and placed it behind him in a place where he could rest his head on while lying down.

"You know Justin, you should really watch your eating habits. Eat too much and you'll become fat." Aly warned while chopping various vegetables.

"But you feed me really healthy stuff. So, it probably does more good for my body then bad. Plus, I love your cooking. That skill adds to your charm!" Justin replied.

"Oh! Well…thank you. I'm flattered…" Aly said flustered. She then smiled glowingly and fist pumped downwards.

After some work, Aly had prepared Justin a nice creamy soup with meat chunks, and berry-flavoured Pokémon food for all of their Pokémon. Everyone said their grace before digging in to their meals. Aly took her Pokémon Egg out of the incubator and embraced it for warmth. Justin used this time to examine the map of Minero further on their Poke-Tabs.

"So we're heading to Emerald City now. After, we'll go through Route 406, Slate Town, Wisdom Mountain and Route 407 before reaching Onyx City in Central Minero." Justin explained.

"Another mountain? I just hope it doesn't turn out like the last one we went through." Aly sighed.

"I hope so too. That was not a fun time back then."

After a while, Justin and all of the Pokémon finished their food and helped Aly clean and pack up everything.

"Well, I guess we better start moving again." Justin suggested.

"Yeah, you're right…Hey Justin! Take a look at your Pokémon Egg!" Aly shouted out, pointing behind her companion. Justin turned around and saw his Pokémon Egg illuminating a bright, white light.

"Um, what's going on with Herodotus?" Justin asked confused.

"It looks like it's going to hatch! Quickly, take it out of the incubator!"

Justin, Aly and all of their Pokémon rushed to the incubator, where the boy took off the cover and lifted the Egg into his arms. Soon enough, the glowing round egg began to take on a new shape. It expanded pretty wide, having a curvy outline with a short tail.

"Herodotus! What will you become?!" Justin said excitedly.

"That name is still ridiculous Justin." Aly remarked.

"At least the readers think so! I think?"

"…who?"

Justin sighed at his companion's naivety. "Never mind. Look, the light is dimming!"

The glowing light surrounding the hatched Pokémon began to fade. Justin's arms began to feel something very soft and fluffy. Cream coloured wool began to become visible, which covered almost the entire body of the Pokémon. It had 4 short blue legs, a blue head with black eyes and conical ears with a black and gold pattern. Its tail had the same black and gold pattern with an orange sphere at the end of it. Justin looked down at the Pokémon while it looked up directly at the trainer with curious, sparkling eyes.

"It's….it's…" Justin stuttered.

"It's so cute!" Aly squealed as she began to jump up and down. All of Aly's and Justin's Pokémon gasped at the surprising sight.

"Ma…Reep?" The Pokémon cried out softly. Justin used one of his hands to reach into his pocket and grab his Pokedex.

"_**Mareep, the Wool Pokémon. Its fluffy coat swells to double when static electricity builds up. Touching it could be rather shocking." **_The Pokedex stated.

"Well I'll be. Thy legendary egg, named Herodotus, has hatched! Thee revealing a majestic and fluffy creature known to thou as Mareep!" Justin exclaimed dramatically.

Mareep quickly entered a frightened state as it jumped out of Justin's arms onto the ground and crouched over before crying.

"Great job there Shakespeare." Aly remarked. All of the Pokémon looked at Justin with unimpressed expressions.

"Ah! Was it something I said?!" Justin asked confusedly while flailing his arms around. Aly put her egg incubator down on the ground and walked up to the frightened Pokémon.

"Hey Mareep. My name is Aly. It's nice to meet you." She said calmly. The Mareep stopped crying and looked up at Aly. The female trainer gave a sincere smile, which helped the electric Pokémon calm down a little.

"Now, you try Justin."

Justin nodded as he made his way towards his newly hatched Pokémon. He knelt down on the opposite side of Mareep, who then looked in his direction before starting to tear up and shake in fear.

"Wait! Don't be scared! I'm really sorry for scaring you like that Mareep. I'm just very excited to meet you as all." Justin explained. Mareep began to calm down once again as it looked carefully at Justin's expression.

"That's it. My name is Justin. I hope we can be good friends." Justin added as he stuck out his hand for a handshake. Mareep was reluctant at first, but then slowly moved its right paw towards Justin's hand.

"Aw, look at that." Aly said under her breath.

Justin watched on as the baby electric Pokémon's paw inched closer to him. Suddenly, a rush of exuberant and joyful emotions began to overtake his mind. His willingness to remain calm and collected in the presence of his new Pokémon faded quickly as he let loose his excitement.

"WOW! YOU'RE SO COOL AND CUTE MAREEP! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE ACTUALY MY POKEMON! THIS IS SO EXCITING! WE'RE GOING TO BE BEST FRIENDS!" Justin exclaimed loudly as he grabbed onto Mareep's paw and shook it energetically.

"Ma!" Mareep shrieked loudly, frightened out of its fluffy body. It jolted up in a state of shock, and then slipped its paw out of Justin's grip before running away and cowering in fear.

Aly looked at Justin all unimpressed with his recent actions.

"Really Justin?" She asked bluntly.

"…I know. I messed up. It's just I've always dreamed of having my very own Pokémon hatch from an egg." Justin sighed as he looked down.

"You're going to have to change your approach with Mareep. The poor thing is so scared of you now."

"I know…I know…"

"I'll help get the ball rolling since Mareep doesn't seems to be afraid of me. But, after that it's up to you. Try not to scare it, and do your best." Aly explained.

"Gotcha! I'm on it!" Justin exclaimed. Aly then walked up to the frightened Pokémon and kneeled beside it. Mareep looked up at her.

"Hey Mareep. Listen, there's no need to be scared of your trainer. He's just really happy and excited to meet you. I assure you he won't cause you any harm. Could you give him one more chance?" Aly said softly.

Mareep began to calm down a little. It looked up at Justin, who seemed to have calmed down and acted serious (for once…). The electric Pokémon began to walk slowly, but cautiously towards the boy. Justin gulped as he making his way towards Mareep. A few steps later, both of them met in the middle, staring at each other with uncertain expressions. Justin let out a big sigh before saying the first words.

"Hey Mareep. Again, I'm really, really sorry for acting a little over the top with you at the beginning. It's true that I can be dramatic and outspoken, but…I truly am a nice person. If you would allow me the chance to show you, that'll be great." Justin said kindly.

"Ma…reep…" Mareep cried out with uncertainty. After a few moments, Mareep made its way beside Justin.

"Great! Well, since you're new to this world, I'll teach you about stuff. Why don't we go for a walk?" Justin asked.

"Ma-reep." Mareep reluctantly nodded. It then looked up at Aly, who gave the baby Pokémon a nod of confidence.

"Just be sure to stay close in the area. And don't go for too long, ok?" Aly stated.

"Don't worry, we won't go too far. Be back soon. Take care of everyone." Justin said. Mareep and him then began walking the in the opposite direction towards the trees before disappearing from sight.

Espeon walked up to Aly and looked up at her. Aly looked down and smiled back.

"Don't worry Espeon. Let's believe in Justin that he'll get through to Mareep."

* * *

Justin and Mareep had walked for about 10 minutes and not a word or sound came out of their mouths. Mareep looked on straight ahead, still having some doubt in its eyes. Justin inhaled, and then exhaled deeply as he prepared himself to start a conversation.

"So…Mareep. While you were in your egg, I called you Herodotus, which I think is a pretty rad name. Could that be your nickname?" Justin asked.

Mareep jolted up, looked at Justin alarmed and shook its head quickly.

"Whoa! Ok! Ok! We'll just stick with Mareep. Please don't get frightened!" Justin said flailing his hands as he tried to stop Mareep from panicking.

Mareep slowly began to calm down, and nodded while smiling at the name Mareep.

"All right! Mareep it is. Yeah, I guess Herodotus was a bit silly." Justin giggled a little.

Mareep's face turned brighter as it began to giggle a bit as well.

"Ma-reep!" Mareep cried out happily. Justin breathed a sigh of relief as he got a little closer to his Pokémon.

"Anyways Mareep, since your new to the world, let me teach you some things. This is what you call a forest. It's filled with living things such as trees, grass, bushes, flowers…um, more trees, and green life!" Justin explained.

Mareep looked all around at the amount of green that surrounded it. Its eyes lit up and gleamed at all the beautiful green life. Mareep came across some flowers sprouted near a big oak tree and ran up to them. The electric Pokémon took a quick sniff at them and smiled at the beautiful smell it produced. Seconds after, it sneezed really softly.

"You ok Mareep?" Justin said as he walked over towards Mareep.

"Ma-reep. Ma" Mareep cried out sadly as tears began to form under its eyes.

"Hey! No need to cry! It was just a sneeze. Those things happen all the time!" Justin stated. After that, Mareep settled down a little, wiping its tears with one of its paws.

"Well…you're the scaredy-cat and crybaby type aren't you?"

"Ma-…"Mareep sulked.

"Hey, there's no need to get down on yourself. You just arrived into this world, so you're not going to be a super hero right away. But don't worry, we're going to work together to build your confidence!" Justin explained. Mareep looked up at him, still unsure of itself, and nodded slightly.

"Eventually, I would like you to participate in Pokémon battles. You see, I'm a Pokémon trainer on a quest to compete in the Minero League. You, the rest of the team, and I will be battling against other trainers' Pokémon in intense battles that will test one's strength, courage and determination. It's going to be an all-out war to see who will reach the top! Of course, you are in no shape to be battling just yet. Heck, you might even find this scary, am I right?" Justin explained as he looked downwards.

Mareep was nowhere to be found. Justin raised a brow as he looked all around to find the baby Pokémon. He then noticed a bush scrub to his left shaking. It had Mareep's tail sticking out of it, signalling that's where the electric Pokémon was hiding.

"C'mon Mareep. That's enough being scared, all right?" Justin said. He walked up to the bush and picked up Mareep into his arms. He then embraced Mareep closely, which startled the electric Pokémon a little.

"I promise to take care of you Mareep. To help you grow into a strong and brave Pokémon. That way, we can be partners, and better yet, friends." Justin said softly.

Mareep looked up at Justin, whose head was buried in the wool of Mareep's body. Mareep began to sense the warmth and kindness of its trainer. It smiled and nuzzled its head into Justin's chest.

All of a sudden, Justin heard some loud noises coming beyond the trees in front of him. It seemed to be crashing and banging, which caused some of the trees to shake.

"It looks like some sort of ruckus is happening there. Let's check it out." Justin said to Mareep. He started to run towards the commotion through the trees and bushes. After a while, the two of them came across quite the scene.

On the left, there was a small little Teddiursa with an evil grin on its face. On the right, there was a Linoone, who stared the Teddiursa down, in front of 3 little Zigzagoons that were shaking in fear. Behind the Zigzagoons was a pile of berries, presumably the food for them, and the Linoone

"It looks like Linoone is trying to protect the Zigzagoons and their food." Justin muttered quietly. Mareep was just focused on the commotion between the two Pokémon.

"Linoone! Li!" Linoone barked out.

"Ursa! Ursa! Teddiursa!" Teddiursa snickered as it made mocking gestures towards the group. The Zigzagoons began to sulk and became sadder. Linoone growled even louder, seeming even angrier than it was before.

"Ma-reep!" Mareep gasped, interested in the situation rather than usually scared. Justin noticed this and was surprised himself.

"Mareep?" Justin said.

"Linoone!" Linoone cried out. It then started to charge at the Teddiursa at full force head first. The speed of Linoone was way too fast for Teddiursa to react, resulting in a strong headbutt attack that sent the bear Pokémon backwards onto the ground.

"Zigzagoon!" The Zigzagoons cried out happily.

"Teddiursa!" Teddiursa growled angrily as it slowly got up. Once Teddiursa got up, it charged towards Linoone with its claws glowing for a fury swipes attack.

"Linoone!" Linoone barked out. It read the movements of its opponent and tactically dodged the incoming fury swipes. It then maneuvered back in front of Teddiursa and unleashed another headbutt attack that dealt even more damage. It sent Teddiursa backwards before landing hard on the ground.

"Zigzagoon!" The Zigzagoons cried out with even more joy as they rushed towards Linoone to celebrate.

"Mareep!" Mareep cried out in awe. It had a wide smile on its face, beaming at the scene of the Zigzagoons praising the Linoone as their hero. Justin continued to look on at his Pokémon, who was more like boy at a toy shop rather than a crybaby.

"That Linoone was pretty cool there, eh Mareep?" Justin said to his Pokémon.

"Mareep!" Mareep cried out happily, agreeing with its trainer. It had a positive and excited aura about it that Justin had never seen from it before.

"It's almost like a Linoone is a superhero. Do you want to be a superhero?" Justin asked.

"Ma?" Mareep thought about the term for a second. After a while, it looked back up at Justin smiling and nodded.

"Well, I'll help you with that. You'll be the best superhero out there!"

"Mareep!"

All of a sudden, the Teddiursa began to get up. It had scratches all over it and looked in no shape to battle, but still got up anyway. Its face showed that it was super angry and mad, probably because it didn't accomplish what it set out to do. It roared out loudly before its body illuminating brightly. The Linoone, Zigzagoons, Justin and Mareep were caught off by the phenomena. Teddiursa was evolving.

"This doesn't look good for them." Justin muttered.

Teddiursa changed shape into a bigger bear before revealing its final evolution form; Ursaring.

"RUARRRRRRR!" Ursaring roared out loudly. The loudness of its roar created a wind that blew by pretty harshly.

"Zigzagoon!" The Zigzagoons cried out in fear.

"Li…noone." Linoone muttered nervously, realizing that the fight just got a whole lot tougher.

"Mareep!" Mareep cried out in fear as well before burying its head into Justin's chest.

The Ursaring leaned back and inhaled, and then unleashed a Hyper Beam attack that was headed straight for Linoone. Linoone conjured up a shadow ball attack and sent it right back. The 2 attacks collided and were pushing against each other, however the hyper beam was too powerful and cut right through. Linoone was hit and sent backwards before slamming hard into a tree. It slid down the trunk and lied at the base looking very weak. The Zigzagoons rushed to their friend's aid to see if it was all right, but there was no movement from Linoone. Ursaring gave another loud roar as it began to walk towards the small group of Pokémon.

"We have to help them…" Justin said to himself. He looked down at Mareep, who was still scared out of its mind. He then made the decision to put Mareep down into a bush to hide.

"Wait there Mareep. I'll be back." He said before running off into the battle. Mareep tried to call out to him to stop, but was too late. Justin ran right in front of the Linoone and raised his arms up to block Ursaring.

"Hey! You've won the battle. So leave these Pokémon alone!" Justin shouted loudly.

The Ursaring's attention then focused on the small human right in front of it. It examined that Justin was trying to impede its way from getting at Linoone and the berries, making it even angrier. Ursaring let out another giant roar and started coming at Justin with its claws lit up for a fury swipes attack.

"You…You don't scare me." Justin said with a hint of nervousness in his voice. Sweat started to drop down the side of his face. His pulse began to accelerate; the pounding of his heart beat louder and more rapidly.

"_Crap, I don't have Espeon and the others to back me up. Linoone is down, while the Zigzagoons and Mareep are too afraid_. _I've really gotten myself into a pickle now, haven't I?" _He thought to himself.

Mareep looked on from the side as the Ursaring charged directly after its trainer. It was then for a brief moment, it remembered the Linoone and how brave it was standing up for its fellow Zigzagoons. It also remembered Justin telling it how the two of them were going to get stronger and braver to be superheroes. Suddenly, its fear and doubts turns into bravery and courage. Mareep stopped shaking and acting like a scaredy-cat, and walked out of the bush. It moved its head back slightly and then whipped it forward, sending yellow electricity from its body towards Ursaring. The attack reached the bear Pokémon and engulfed it in a thundershock attack. Justin, the Zigzagoons and Linoone saw this and had a surprised reaction.

"Mareep?" He called out as he looked towards the electric type Pokémon. Mareep continued its attack for another few seconds before using all of its energy. It resulted in Mareep sweating and panting from exhaustion.

"Great job Mareep! You used thundershock!" Justin exclaimed. He quickly looked over at Ursaring to check the damage, only to find out that it did nothing but make Ursaring even madder. It was now staring in the direction of Mareep, who started cowering in fear once again.

"Uh-oh." Justin remarked.

Ursaring began to make its way over towards Mareep and attack it with fury swipes. Justin also began to run to his Pokémon's aid, but was clearly too far to reach it before Ursaring.

"Run Mareep! Get out of there!" He shouted out.

Mareep couldn't move it feet as its body was frozen in fear, unable to move away from the incoming Ursaring. The bear Pokémon finally made its way over and was standing right before Mareep with its arm raised up ready for an attack. Mareep closed its eyes, bracing itself for the worst attack possible.

"MAREEP!" Justin shouted out worriedly.

All of a sudden, a colour beam of energy came out from bushes behind Mareep and hit Ursaring straight in the chest, which caused it to fall backwards. Justin saw this and became confused.

"Wait, was that Psybeam?" He thought.

Justin then saw a flamethrower attack that looked twice as powerful as a normal one come out as well and hit Ursaring as it was getting up. It wasn't long before familiar faces came out into the open: Espeon, Combusken, Mudkip, Gible, Vulpix, Squirtle and Aly.

"Are you all right Justin?" Aly asked.

"Aly! In the nick of time too! Thanks a bunch!" Justin exclaimed as he made his way towards his friends. The Ursaring began to get up again after the second attack made.

"Doesn't seem like we're done here yet." He remarked as he saw the Ursaring get even angrier.

Mareep slowly started to open its eyes, seeing now that it was surrounded by many familiar Pokémon and people.

"Don't worry Mareep. I'll take it from here pal." Justin remarked confidently.

Mareep looked on at its trainer. Suddenly, the image of Justin changed from just a regular boy, to a caped figure standing in a superhero's pose. Mareep became all giddy and smile brightly at its trainer.

"RUAR!" Ursaring shouted out as it prepared to shoot off a Hyper Beam attack.

"All right everybody! Let's do this! Espeon, use Psybeam. Combusken, use Flamethrower. Mudkip, use Water Pulse! Gible, use Dragon Rage!" Justin commanded.

"Vulpix, use flamethrower. Squirtle, use your water gun." Aly commanded as well.

All of the Pokémon released their attacks towards Ursaring, while the bear Pokémon finished charging its attack and shot it towards the group. All of the attacks collided, but Ursaring's Hyper Beam was easily pushed away and the bear Pokémon was struck hard. A smoke explosion occurred around Ursaring's body and spread out across the entire area. Justin, Aly and all the Pokémon covered their faces from the smoke blowing towards them. Moments later, the smoke started to subside, revealing Ursaring on one knee panting heavily and all full of scratches. Justin walked up to the Pokémon with a smug look on his face.

"You shouldn't pick on others, especially those who are smaller or weaker than you, for things that you want. There are better was to handling these situations." Justin stated.

Aly and the other Pokémon nodded in agreement. Ursaring then looked at the Zigzagoons, who approached the bear Pokémon with some berries in their mouth while helping Linoone walk over as well. They dropped it before Ursaring and smiled at it, signalling that they were sharing the berries. Ursaring looked on, understanding what it had done wrong. It looked down at the berries, then back at the Zigzagoons, smiling and thanking them for the berries.

Justin nodded at the situation before turning around to walk back to his friends. As he made his way back, he noticed Mareep was running towards him with a big smile on its face.

"Mareep! I'm glad to see you're okay!" Justin exclaimed.

"Ma-Mareep! Mareep! Ma-reep!" Mareep cried out excitedly as it started to jump around, make superhero poses and pointing at Justin.

"Yeah! I guess I was a hero today, wasn't I? Not that I'm surprised or whatever since I'm awesome. Don't worry though Mareep, soon that'll be you!"

"Mareep!"

Justin and Mareep started laughing with each other, leaving Aly and the rest of the Pokémon confused.

"Hero? Justin? Hm…well, maybe he is." She remarked softly.

* * *

Justin, Aly and all of their Pokémon said goodbye to the Linoone, Zigzagoons and Ursaring, who all seemed to have gotten along. Once they all left, Justin turned back towards his friends.

"All right, time for a formal introduction I guess. Mareep, welcome to our travelling group. Or, what I like to say, our family. This is Espeon, Combusken, Mudkip, Gible, Aly, Squirtle and Vulpix!" Justin announced. Mareep looked around at the curious, smiling faces that surrounded it.

"Everyone, say hi to our newest member!"

Aly and the other Pokémon greeted Mareep cheerfully in their own way. Mareep bowed its head to greet everyone, but had a nervous face on because of being in the spotlight.

"I should also mention that one day, Mareep is going to be a superhero. And guess what? Mareep took its first step towards that goal today when it helped me during the Ursaring debacle. Let's give Mareep a hand and cheer!" Justin added.

Everyone began to clap and cheer, despite not being there to see the heroic act. Mareep looked around and started to feel good about itself. It smiled and began to cry out happily.

"Good job Justin." Aly whispered to her friend. "You were able to connect with your new Pokémon."

"Yep." Justin nodded as he looked down at Mareep, who was jumping up and down playfully.

"It's going to be a journey, but Mareep will turn out just fine."


	30. Chapter 30 - Embrace & Overcome

_**AN: What's this? A new chapter just a little over a week after the last one came out? Impossible?! I've had time on my hands. Read and review.**_

**Chapter 30 – Embrace &amp; Overcome **

"Aly, I'd like for you to teach me how to cook someday." Justin requested.

"What? Really? Are you sure you're up for it?" Aly replied in a nervous tone.

"Yeah! Is that so weird?"

"Well, no. I guess not. But…it's just kind of random. I didn't think you'd be into that stuff."

"I want to know how to cook so I can make things myself whenever I'm hungry." Justin exclaimed, fist pumping downwards.

"But wait…what about me? Will I still be able to make meals for you? I mean, you'll probably take a while before you get good at it. And…um, well, you'll still need someone to feed you in the meantime." Aly rambled on all flustered.

"Relax Aly. You can still cook for me and our Pokémon. Your food will always be number 1 to me. So chill." Justin laughed as he patted Aly on the head.

"Oh…sorry, I…never mind. I guess I was just overreacting." Aly sighed in relief.

"Speaking of food, care to make something now?" Justin smiled slyly.

"….what?"

* * *

Justin Riser and Aly Eatos settled down under one of the many trees of the Emerald forest for a break. The boy was lying in a comfortable position along the trunk of the tree with his eyes closed, while the girl was making another meal for her friend. It was late afternoon, so weather was little cooler now. The leaves on the branches still blocked out most of the sunlight that shone down on the Earth. Justin heard many noises coming from the nature surrounding him. The rustling of bushes and shrubs that forest Pokémon were hiding in, or the shaking of branches caused by other Pokémon jumping from tree to tree. He opened his eyes to catch a glimpse of the forest. The path hadn't changed at all; an endless sea of trees, bushes and shrubs of all sizes planted all over the ground.

"Man, does this forest ever end?" Justin moaned as he sat up.

"Does your appetite ever end?" Aly mumbled sarcastically.

"…I'm sorry." Justin remarked, bowing his head with his hands clasped together.

"It's fine. Your food is just about finished." Aly said as she returned to a sweet and innocent face.

"…you can be scary sometimes. But, thank you." Justin sighed. He then laid back onto the tree trunk and closed his eyes. However, the way Justin leaned back, a Pokeball on his belt pressed the tree trunk, causing it to expand, open up and release a Pokémon.

"Esp-eon!" Espeon cried out as it stretched its front legs out.

"Ah, Espeon. Didn't want to stay in your ball eh?" Justin chuckled.

"…Esp." Espeon mumbled while looking away unimpressed at its trainer's naivety. Just then, Aly turned around and walked on her knees towards Justin with a plate on her hands. It held a sandwich with tons of meat and veggies packed within it.

"YES! ROAST BEEF SANDWICH, MY FAVOURITE!" Justin cried out happily. "Does it…?"

"Yes, it has my special sauce in it too." Aly added.

"You're the best Aly! Espeon, have a bite!" Justin went on to eat his meal while giving some bites to his Pokémon, who also loved it. Aly strung a big smile that spread cheek to cheek as she watched her friends eat the snack she prepared. All of a sudden, something caught her attention up ahead that was sticking out of a random bush. It was white and spikey, something that definitely wouldn't be in a forest.

"Hey, what do you think that is?" Aly asked while pointing forward. Justin and Espeon, who had the last bite of the sandwich, looked in that direction and saw the white mystery.

"Hm. I'm not sure. But, my Poke-senses tell me that it's a rare Pokémon!" Justin exclaimed excitedly. He stood up instantly and started to run in the direction of the white, prickly stand-out. Espeon noticed its trainer and followed him.

"Wait! Justin!" Aly called out. She picked up her Pokémon Egg container, grabbed Justin's bag and followed her friend.

"All right Espeon, get ready for battle!" Justin shouted out. He and Espeon ran through grass, dirt and tall bushes to get to their destination. After arriving, he pulled the last bush aside to see what the mystery was.

It turned out to be something even more surprising.

"Hey-oh!...Oh…." Justin remarked surprised. He found a familiar boy kneeling down towards a Pokémon who had a white mane, a pointed nose and three broad leaves as its hands. The Pokémon was lying up against a tree, looking really pale and panting heavily. The boy had a different outfit on with a new black long jacket and dark brown pants, but his face was one to remember.

"Well look who we have here." He scoffed.

Justin took a step back, shocked of finding his main rival Ron behind the bush. But, he also had a hint of disappointment, realizing that the Pokémon sitting before him was Ron's. Espeon's reaction was more of a mixed one. It put on a straight and confident face to look unfazed, but inside it felt nervous and scared. The psychic Pokémon swallowed, preparing itself for the worst.

Aly then finally caught up with her friends and appeared behind Justin panting.

"Justin. Stop running so fast all the time, you know I can't keep up…oh!" She exclaimed surprised. Upon looking at Ron's face, feelings of uneasiness began to enter her mind. The last time they met on Route 404, Ron called her out for not being able to take care of herself and relying too much on Justin. The remark stung, but was true to an extent.

"I should have known you'd make an appearance too. After all, you guys are a package." Ron stated.

"What do you mean package?" Justin asked.

"Never mind. Why don't you guys beat it? I'm busy here."

"But wait, your Pokémon looks ill and injured." Aly mentioned. She pulled out her Pokedex from her bag and activated while pointing at his Pokémon.

"_**Shifty, the Wicked Pokémon. A Pokémon that was feared as a forest guardian. It can read the foe's mind and take pre-emptive action." **_The Pokedex stated.

"Wow, you have a Shiftry?! It looks super cool and super strong!" Justin remarked very excitedly, but toned down quickly as he recognized the situation. "But yeah, it does look ill. Do you need help?"

"I said beat it!" Ron barked.

"Stop being a Debbie-Downer bud. C'mon, I hate seeing Pokémon in trouble. Let us help! Aly probably has something to help."

"Did you not hear me? I said-"

"Poisoned right?" Aly peeped out, interrupting Ron's yelling.

"What? Well, yeah...but I…" Ron stuttered.

"I have just the thing. Hold on."

Aly gave Justin her Pokémon Egg to hold onto as she reached into her backpack. A few seconds later of digging around in her bag, Aly pulled out a glass vile that had a purplish, pink liquid in it. She then walked up to Ron and extended her hand out.

"Here. This elixir I created should help your Shiftry." Aly remarked. Ron hesitated for a moment, but ultimately gave in and took the vile from Aly. He pulled the cork out of the opening and lifted the glass towards Shiftry's mouth. The grass type Pokémon opened its mouth and started to drink the elixir.

"Shift…try." Shiftry mumbled. The colour on its face and its breathing started to return to normal. Shiftry's opened its eyes, which showed more life in them. The elixir had done its job and successfully healed Ron's Pokémon. Shiftry stood back up, stretched its body out and let out a battle cry in the air.

"Hey look. Shiftry seems all back to normal!" Justin exclaimed.

"Damn it Shiftry! You were freaking careless during training again. I told you to watch your surroundings while jumping through the tree branches. Do it again and you're out." Ron ranted towards his Pokémon.

"Shift…" Shiftry muttered disappointed and saddened by its trainer's remarks.

"Dude! Chill. Why don't you say, 'Shiftry! I'm glad you're better!' or something else nice." Justin lashed out.

"It's Shiftry's own fault." Ron stated firmly. He then glanced over at Aly, which startled her greatly.

"But, I guess I should thank you. Aly, was it? You saved me the trouble of doing it myself. I'll repay the favour one day and we'll be done."

"Oh, um…you're welcome. I'm glad I can help. Don't worry about owing me back." Aly smiled as she received her Pokémon Egg back from Justin.

Ron had one look of her sweet smile and blushed a little, but quickly shook it off and looked the other way.

"No, I have too. I can't stand the thought of being indebted to someone else. I pay them back, and severe all connections." He added. Justin and Aly gave a strange look at the boy, not understanding the thought process behind that mentality.

Ron then caught a glimpse of Espeon, who was startled upon seeing eye-to-eye with its former trainer. It took a step backwards and tensed up a little. Ron saw this vulnerability and smirked.

"Still afraid of me eh? If you ever plan to be useful, you better grow up and get over such trivial matters. You're still as weak as ever." He taunted.

"Ron! I'm sick and tired of you constantly taunting and degrading Espeon!" Justin yelled at his rival, feeling the anger and rage course through his body.

"Esp!" Espeon cried out loudly at Ron, backing its trainer and looking a little more confident. Ron saw this and his smirk disappeared.

"I still have yet to see anything that makes me accept Espeon as a true opponent."

"Then why don't we settle this now. One battle, one on one, me versus you. After this, we'll show you that Espeon is no joke, and a worthy Pokémon battler." Justin stated confidently.

Aly looked over at her friend. She had never seen him so confident and serious before, and was in no mood to make a joke about it. His facial expression, his body posture and his eyes; they were sending a message to Ron that Justin was not about to back down. She then glanced down at Espeon, who had the same determination as its trainer. The confidence and huzzah from its trainer exuded from the Pokémon as well.

"_I've never seen these 2 so determined for a battle. It's a chance for both of them, especially Espeon, to finally gain some respect from Ron." _She thought. Justin, from the corner of his eye, looked over at Aly and gave her a confident smile. That small gesture made Aly blush and caused her heart to skip a beat.

"_Wow…he does look super cool now."_

"So what's it going to be Ron?" Justin demanded.

"Esp-eon!" Espeon echoed its trainer.

Ron looked at his rivals and took a moment to think about it. After taking a few moments, he came to a decision.

"Fine, I have some time to kill." He said calmly.

"I have one request though. You use your Magmar in the battle." Justin demanded. This raised a brow from Ron. Espeon gasped at its trainer's request and looked at Justin with a shocked expression.

"You serious?" Ron retorted.

"You bet I am."

"…Shiftry, return." Ron took out a Pokeball from his belt and returned the grass Pokémon.

"Follow me. There's an open area in the forest nearby."

* * *

The entire group walked for about 10 minutes before arriving at a small open grass area that happened to be in this forest. There were no trees or bushes that sprouted from the ground in this area. It was just a blanket of green grass that was surprisingly trimmed to a reasonable level. Justin and Ron were standing about 30-40 feet away from each other, looking right at each other's eyes. Espeon was right by its trainer's side, standing in a battle ready pose. Aly stood a couple of feet behind Justin, having a good view of the field.

"You sure you still want to do this? You and your excuse for a Pokémon can back out now if you want." Ron stated.

"Yeah right we'll back down now." Justin shot back.

"Espeon!" Espeon cried out. Aly looked on at her friends.

"_Good luck Justin…Espeon."_ She said in her head.

"Very well. Let's get this battle started." Ron said. He grabbed a Pokeball from his belt and tossed it in the air. It opened up and released a bright, illuminated silhouette of a Pokémon. The light then began to disappear, revealing a red and yellow Pokémon that had puckered lips, 2 lumps on its forehead that had flames on top of them, and a yellow tail.

"Magmar!" Magmar roared out.

"There it is." Justin muttered to himself. He then looked down at Espeon, whose demeanour changed as drastic as night and day. A once confident Pokémon turned into frightened one that was shaking in fear. It took a step backwards and began to sweat a little. Justin knelt down and petted Espeon on the head.

"Espeon. I'm sorry but this must happen. This is going to help us get stronger. I'm right here so don't worry." Justin said smiling.

Espeon looked at its trainer and nodded, but still felt nervous about the battle. It walked forward ahead of its trainer and onto the made-up battlefield to face its opponent. Magmar gave Espeon a smug look while slamming its left leg onto the ground to show its strength.

"It looks like this won't take long after all." Ron remarked.

"We'll see about that! Are you ready to battle?!" Justin shouted out.

"Sure am. Prepare to lose."

_**BATTLE BEGIN!**_

"Espeon, start off with a Psybeam attack!" Justin commanded.

"Esp!" Espeon cried out as it shot out a colourful beam of psychic energy directly towards Magmar. Ron saw the oncoming attack, but didn't make any rash movement or command.

"Deflect it." He ordered calmly.

"Mag." Magmar nodded. It raised both of its hands out in front of its body with its palms stretched out. The Psybeam finally made its way over and collided with the hands of Magmar. Instead of pushing away the fire Pokémon and damaging it, the Psybeam was split into 2 smaller beams that continued past the sides of Magmar's body.

"Is that all you got?" Ron stated. Justin grunted in disappointment while gritting his teeth.

"_The attack didn't even phase Magmar. Then again, it didn't even seem like Espeon's full power." _Justin thought to himself.

"Well, I guess it's my turn now. Magmar, Fire Blast."

Magmar greatly inhaled through its mouth, and then blew out a blaze of fire in the shape of a kanji that made its way towards Espeon.

"Espeon! Jump out of the way!" Justin commanded.

Espeon looked on at the fire attack and got ready to dodge the attack. It bent all 4 of its legs before springing up in the air, just barely dodging the head of the fire blast.

Just then, Magmar popped up right in front of Espeon mid-air, which startled the psychic type Pokémon and Justin.

"What the?" Justin cried.

"Feint attack." Ron commanded. Magmar snickered before unleashing a deadly and cunning sucker punch right at the side of Espeon's face. Espeon flew downwards fast to the ground and landed pretty hard which created a dust explosion upon impact.

"Espeon!" Justin called out worriedly. The dust settled, revealing Espeon slowly getting up from the ground. The feint attack was a dark type move, meaning it was a super effective attack that dealt a good amount of damage.

"C'mon Espeon! This battle is far from over! Pull it together!" Justin shouted. Espeon got back on its feet and shook off the pain, but still looked uneasy.

"All right! Let's try something else then! Espeon, quick attack!"

Espeon nodded anxiously before dashing forward at a really high speed towards Magmar. Espeon was so fast that it vanished from visibility, which caught Ron off guard a little bit.

"That's fast." Ron remarked.

"Our training is paying off! Now go Espeon!" Justin called out.

Espeon was running in a circle around Magmar. Its body became visible for short periods of time at certain spots before disappearing again due to its high speed. Magmar turned its head in all directions trying to keep up with the fast psychic Pokémon. For a split second, Magmar felt an unexpected force run into its belly that knocked it backwards a few steps. Moments later, that same force came again, only this time the fire Pokémon was hit on its side.

"That's it Espeon! Just like that!" Justin cried out happily.

Magmar began to look flustered, unable to find or catch the speedy Espeon.

"Magmar. Focus." Ron commanded. Magmar looked back at its trainer, and then nodded. It stopped turning its head side to side like a spaz and began to shift its eyes and focus in order to read Espeon's movements. After a taking a few moments to think, Magmar started to pick up on Espeon's pattern and nodded its head.

"About time. Use confuse ray." Ron commanded.

"Mag!" Magmar cried out loudly. It created 6 golden energy balls that floated in the air and fired them straight ahead of itself. The attack was perfectly timed and placed that it collided with the running Espeon. The attack made contact with psychic Pokémon and got enveloped in its body, causing it to become dazed and confused.

"Ah crap!" Justin shouted angrily. "Snap out of it Espeon!"

"Use Fire Punch!" Ron called out.

Magmar's fist became engulfed in bright red and yellow flames. It twisted its body forward and threw a ferocious jab right at Espeon's face. The attack knocked Espeon flying to the right, sending it hard onto ground rolling.

"Espeon! Are you all right?!" Justin called out worriedly.

"…Esp…" Espeon cried out weakly as it slowly got up from the ground. While it looked exhausted and beat up, its expression suggested that it was cleared of the confusion.

"Looks like we caught a break there. That punch was so powerful that it got rid of the confusion." Justin then thought of something in his head.

"All right Espeon, try your shadow ball!"

Espeon got back up and began conjuring up a ball of dark energy. Just before it was about to release its attack, Espeon got a glimpse of Magmar's face, which had an evil and confident expression. This caused Espeon to have a flashback of the previous battles it had against Magmar, both Ron's and Leonard's.

* * *

Against Ron's, Espeon had evolved from an Eevee and gained strength and psychic powers. In its new form, it had hoped to finally show Ron that it was worthy of his respect. Unfortunately, the end result wasn't favourable as Justin and Espeon lost the match. After that, Espeon entered into a depressed state. It was very disappointed, frustrated at the fact that even with its new strength it was unable to beat Ron. Espeon felt that it would never beat Ron, no matter how strong it got or how hard it tried.

Espeon was then entered into a Pokémon Battle tournament at Granite Town. Luck would have it that the first opponent for Justin and Espeon was a boy named Leonard, who happened to have a Magmar. Espeon's feelings of doubt and despair from Ron's battle began to take over its mind, causing it to be uninterested in battling anymore. The way the match played out could not have been worse, resulting in a humiliating defeat and distance between Justin and Espeon. It was something that Espeon never wanted to experience again.

* * *

Remembering everything that happened in the past, Espeon became frightened where its shadow ball attack started to lose power.

"What are you waiting for Espeon?! Use your shadow ball attack!" Justin snapped.

"Esp!" Espeon cried out snapping back to reality. Despite losing some power, it released its shadow ball directly at Magmar.

"That's all? Magmar, fire blast." Ron commanded.

"Mag-mar!" Magmar breathed out a powerful fire blast attack right at the incoming shadow ball. The 2 attack met, but kanji shaped flame easily overpowered the ball of darkness and cut right through it. Espeon eyes shot opened as the saw fire blast come closer and closer to it. Not before long, the attack hit the psychic Pokémon hard and created a big, black smoke explosion.

"Espeon!" Justin screamed in fear.

Espeon shot out of the smoke cloud with flames burning all over its body. It landed hard onto the ground right in front of Justin, letting out a painful cry.

"Are you all right?!"

"….Esp" Espeon cried out weakly, using what little energy it had try and stand up.

"_That last shadow ball attack seemed to have lost a lot of power just for being released. It was nowhere near capable of Espeon's full power, even with it being tired from battle. The fear of Magmar, Ron, and never getting better…it still lives within her. We won't ever win like this."_ Justin thought to himself. He clenched his fist at the thought of losing to Ron yet again.

"_I have to snap Espeon out of it. This time though….I'll handle it better than I did before."_

"Is this really all you 2 can muster?" Ron asked bluntly.

"What?...No, we…"

"This battle has been a complete waste of my time. After your dramatic and uncharacteristically confident speech, I was expecting that you and Espeon would show some improvement. Instead, I get this pathetic showing."

"What was that?!" Justin shouted angrily.

"It's always the same whenever we meet and battle. I've tell you this all the time, the way you treat and train your Pokémon is just sickening and wrong. Bonding with them and showing them compassion will turn your Pokémon into slackers. Get too close to them and…you'll end up…" Ron explained before stuttering with the last part. He then looked down to cover his face, which got a reaction from Justin, Espeon and Aly.

"Wait…what?" Justin remarked. After a few moments, Ron looked back up with an enraged, but emotional face.

"AGGHH! It's just wrong! The only thing that matters about Pokémon is their strength in battle! Companionship, bonds and friendship are things that slow down and hurt a Pokémon's development. And that's not the only thing that gets hurt in the process…" Ron said with emotion.

"Ron…" Justin said, looking at his rival in a different light. Just then, Ron's expression turned from vulnerable to wicked.

"Enough of that. I've said way too much back then. Point is, your Espeon is pathetic, weak and has no business being part of anyone's party. That will never change in my mind!"

"YOU'RE WRONG!" Justin shouted at the top of his lungs. Aly, Espeon and Ron were taken back from his loud remark.

"I've been patient and reserved while dealing with your antics and rude remarks. But now, that fuse has blown!"

"Just shut up."

"No! I will not stay quiet! I will blabber and jabber as much as I want! Listen, I don't know what happened to make you think like that. But, that is you. I am me! I will treat and handle my Pokémon the way I want to. My Pokémon are my friends, my family. I cherish each and every one of them. I believe in them too, in their potential to be strong and powerful. This especially goes for Espeon!" Justin explained.

Espeon looked up at its trainer.

"Espeon and I had some trouble between us after our last battle. I was arrogant and ignorant of her feelings. But then, we made up, and also made a promise to each other. That we would become stronger together. We would strengthen our bond so that we become one. If we continue towards this, Espeon and I will overcome any challenge where no one will be able to stop us. Not even you!"

Espeon's eyes shone brightly after Justin's speech. It got back up onto its feet and cried out loudly in the air. A newfound source of strength and energy flowed right into its body. Justin, Aly, Ron and Magmar looked on surprised. Just a moment ago, the psychic Pokémon seemed to be on the verge of defeat. But now, it was re-energized and ready to do battle once again. Espeon stared down Magmar and Ron with determination and confidence in its eyes.

"Justin! Espeon responded to your feelings and has been rejuvenated." Aly exclaimed.

"All right! Espeon! Let's show Ron what we can do when we are hearts are connected!" Justin exclaimed excitedly.

Ron looked on, still in shock from the events that have occurred.

"This is…impossible! Where did this new found strength come from?!" He said in disbelief.

"Ron! This is where the battle really begins! Espeon! Use your psybeam!" Justin commanded.

"ESP-EON!" Espeon cried out loudly as it shot out a colourful beam of psychic energy, which was much bigger than before. Ron eyes shot open upon seeing the attack.

"Magmar! Fire blast!" Ron commanded with more emotion in his voice. Magmar shot out a fire blast attack towards Espeon. The psybeam and fire blast met, but Espeon's easily cut through Magmar's and hit the fire Pokémon heavily. The attack was so powerful that it shot Magmar into the air before falling onto the ground hard.

"Yes! That's it Espeon!" Justin said.

"Magmar! Feint attack!" Ron commanded rashly. Magmar got up and started to charge at Espeon.

"Dodge with Quick attack!" Justin ordered. Espeon nodded as it awaited Magmar to sucker punch it. Just before the punch collided, Espeon dodged by vanishing from sight. Magmar was left surprised and started looking around for its opponent. Espeon was right behind the fire type Pokémon, who then turned around to attack again. Espeon did the same thing, disappear just before the fist was thrown at it. This time however it re-appeared on the right side of Magmar, who was still in a follow-through from the punch.

"Shadow ball!" Justin commanded.

Espeon created a ball of darkness and released towards Magmar's side, hitting it hard and causing the fire Pokémon to cringe in pain.

"Nice! Now quick attack head on!"

Espeon leaped forward and dashed straight onwards at Magmar at a high speed.

"Catch it Magmar!" Ron commanded. Magmar's eyes focused in on Espeon's position and caught the Pokémon with its hands before being tackled. Espeon began to squirm around in order to break free.

"That's not good." Justin said nervously.

"Throw it up in the air and then use feint attack!"

Magmar used its arms to throw Espeon into the air, putting it in a vulnerable position where it can only fly up and wail its legs around. All of a sudden, Magmar appeared right in front of Espeon in the air and threw a nasty sucker punch into its face. Espeon landed hard on the ground and bounced a couple of times, but managed to land on its 4 legs shortly after.

"All right! This is the final attack! Espeon, psybeam!" Justin yelled out. Espeon cried out loudly as well, firing a powerful psybeam aimed at Magmar.

"Magmar! Fire Blast!" Ron commanded. Magmar inhaled deeply, and then breathed out a burning, hot fire blast attack. The attack collided and created a massive smoke explosion that blanketed the entire open grass area in the forest. Justin, Ron and Aly braced themselves and covered their faces from the smoke.

"Espeon!" Justin called out for his partner. The smoke was so thick and heavy that it was impossible to see anything.

"Justin!" Aly cried out worriedly.

"I'm fine Aly." Justin reassured his friend.

"_Well, let's find out how far we've come." _He thought to himself.

Moments past and the smoke began to blow away. Soon enough, the smoke became more and more transparent before finally dissipating. On the field stood Espeon and Magmar, barely standing on their legs and all covered in black sut and scratches. Both were panting heavily as sweat dropped down their faces, clinging onto any energy that was left in the tank. Shortly though, both Pokémon dropped down to the floor and laid flat.

"I…I think it's a draw." Aly exclaimed.

Justin dropped to his knees and let out a big sigh. He then got up and rushed to his fallen partner.

"Espeon, are you ok?" He asked while turning Espeon onto its back in his arms. Espeon squinted its eyes before slowly opening them. It nodded and smiled weakly. Justin saw this and started to become very emotional.

"We may have tied…but you did it buddy. You overcame your fears and doubts. I'm so proud of you." Justin remarked. Tears began to well up in his eyes. He looked downwards and started to cry. Espeon raised one of its paws and placed it on Justin's cheek. The trainer looked at his Pokémon, whose eyes were shining beautifully at him.

Aly saw this and started to tear up as well. She was incredibly proud of what her friends were able to accomplish. She quickly made her way over to the 2 and congratulated them on their battle.

Ron's face however showed shock and disbelief. He walked up to his fallen Magmar and returned it back to its Pokeball.

"I guess more training is in order." He muttered quietly under his breath. Ron then looked over at Justin, who he, Aly and Espeon were staring at him. Ron looked away and closed his eyes.

"Well Ron?" Justin asked.

"…I still can't believe what happened out there. I was sure that the battle was over. But somehow, Espeon managed to gain strength even though it was down for the count. Could it be from...? Maybe there is something to bonds with Pokémon…" Ron remarked.

Justin, Aly and Espeon's eyes widened at the unconventional statements from the boy.

"_What am I saying…I won't let it happen again."_ Ron thought to himself, shaking his head.

"Well, it was a good battle Ron. One of the toughest I've been a part of. Let's do it again soon." Justin smiled.

"Yeah…it was. Next time, it will be a different story though. Til then…Justin and Espeon."

After that, Ron started to walk away in the other direction. Aly looked over at Justin and asked her friend a question.

"Um…does this mean you guys are on good terms now?" She asked.

"I don't know about that…but, I'm sure he's looking at us in a different light now." Justin explained. He then looked down at Espeon, who looked at him with a curious expression.

"In the end, Espeon was able to accomplish something really important. We still have ways to go, but for now, we'll celebrate these kind of victories. Isn't that right, partner?"

"Esp!" Espeon cried out happily.

_**Message for guest Martyn: I appreciate your input for story ideas. Unfortunately, I cannot do the ones suggested (Justin having fear or getting fat). However, if you have other ideas, create an account and PM me to discuss other suggestions (maybe a fave/follow too?). I'm open to filler-fluff ideas for this story.**_


	31. Chapter 31 - Thieves of the Night

_**AN: Hello readers. I'm back with another chapter. School and Life have proved to be busy once again, so please excuse the late update. And look, I posted this chapter right on my birthday, showing i value FFN more than myself (not really, but tried to sound cool)! Credits go to ****pokemonking0924 for the idea on this chapter. Hope it's to yours, and other readers' liking. **_

**Chapter 31 – Thieves of the Night **

Justin Riser and Aly Eatos settled down in a random area within the Emerald forest to eat (another) meal. Only this time, it was dinner for the whole gang, which included all the Pokémon in their party. Everyone sat around a campfire that was started thanks to the fire Pokémon Combusken and Vulpix. Aly had tall branches set upwards in a pyramid to hold a pot of water over the fire. Squirtle and Gible were at it again playing tag around trees and bushes while staying close to the group. Combusken and Vulpix, who seemed to have developed a good relationship with each other, were comfortably settled on the ground talking with one another. They also had a certain Pokémon named Mareep staring at them up close with curious eyes, causing the fire Pokémon to be slightly embarrassed and confused. The young electric Pokémon was still new to the world and was interested in everything around it. Justin and Mudkip tended to Espeon, who had a draining battle against Ron and Magmar, by creating a soft resting area to lie down on and recover.

"Hey Aly, when's food going to be ready?! I'm starving!" Justin whined asking his friend.

"Be patient! Stew should be ready soon." Aly requested.

"Ugh…fine."

The sun had finally set and night time arrived. The complexion of the Emerald forest had changed drastically, where the darkness created a spooky and ominous atmosphere. However, the warmth and light coming from the campfire seemed to mitigate that and created more of a homey ambiance. Being together with friends put everyone into a brighter mood, as if they were with family. The smell of the stew boiling in the pot made certain stomachs growl loudly. Justin and all of the Pokémon were anticipating a meal to remember.

"All right, food's ready!" Aly called out.

Justin and the Pokémon looked over with faces beaming of happiness. All of them walked over towards the pot in order to grab their shares of the meal. Aly dipped a steel ladle into the pot and scooped a fair share into everyone's bowl. The Pokémon sat in a line formation as Justin laid out their bowls in front of them on the ground. Aly finished scooping the rest of the stew into the final 2 bowls, one in which was gratefully accepted by Justin.

"Wow! It smells and looks amazing as always Aly!" Justin said.

"C'mon, let's sit down and eat!" Aly smiled.

Justin nodded as the 2 trainers sat down with their Pokémon and began to eat their dinner.

"This is amazing stuff!" Justin exclaimed joyfully as he slurped the food from his spoon. All the Pokémon all cried out in agreement.

"Thanks guys. That makes me happy." Aly replied sincerely.

"We should be thanking you, Master Chef!" Justin added before stuffing his face into his bowl.

* * *

The 2 trainers and all their Pokémon gathered in a circle around the campfire and began to have a rowdy and enthusiastic conversations about their journey, with most of the talking coming from Justin. Aly cleaned the food bowls with the help of Squirtle and Mudkip while adding in her own witty remarks into Justin's stories. The Pokémon around got into the action by doing charades of actions while trying to tell a story. There was joy and there was laughter, things that are expected to be when sharing a campfire with good friends.

"Man, this really seems like a family atmosphere. Nothing is more fun than being around the people and Pokémon you care about! This is the life!" Justin stated as he stroked Espeon's fur, who was lying beside him purring.

"Hey Justin. Where did I put my Pokémon Egg again?" Aly asked curiously, putting away the last bowl into her bag.

"Oh, it's right over there." Justin said as he turned around to point behind him. Everyone else looked in that direction and came across a surprising sight. There were 3 Pokémon right in front of where the Egg incubator and Justin's backpack were placed. One appeared to be digging through the backpack while the other 2 were carrying the egg incubator in their arms.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Justin called out as he got up from his spot to confront the suspicious Pokémon. The 3 Pokémon turned around to face group, revealing their identities to be Ivysaur, Nuzleaf and Bayleef. The first grass Pokémon was standing in front of Justin's bag with a shiny chain dangling from its mouth, while the latter 2 were carrying Aly's Egg case together with Nuzleaf's hands and Bayleef's vine whip. They all looked startled after being caught for their mischievous behaviour.

"That's my Pokémon Egg!" Aly called out.

"Vulpix!" Vulpix cried out as it walked even closer towards the Grass Pokémon with an angry glare. The other Pokémon of Justin and Aly's followed in as well.

"Wait…that's…" Justin mumbled as he recognized the object of his in Ivysaur's mouth.

"Nuz, Nuzleaf!" Nuzleaf cried out to its cohorts. The grass Pokémon all nodded before turning around and scurrying away into the bushes.

"Hey! You can't take those!" Justin called out. He dashed ahead into the bushes to chase the mysterious grass Pokémon thieves. Combusken, Gible and Vulpix ran ahead to join Justin's pursuit.

"Justin!" Aly shouted as she saw her friend disappear.

"Stay here and watch our stuff and everyone else. I'll catch them!" Justin's yelled back.

Combusken, Gible, Vulpix and him ran through many different areas of the Emerald forest trying to catch the thieves. From plain grass, to wet muddy areas, to deep divots in the ground. The darkness of the night made it hard to see straight in front of them. The group had to be really attentive to avoid running into these obstacles. Justin could only see the end of Bayleef, but it was a good enough indicator to follow them.

"_I don't get it. Why would they steal from us? That Egg means a lot to Aly. I'd hate to see her lose it. And my item…I can't lose that_." He thought to himself while running.

It wasn't long before Justin lost sight of the Grass Pokémon and seemed to be chasing no one. After realizing this, the Pokémon and he stopped running to look around.

"Any of you guys know where they could have went?" Justin asked.

Combusken and Gible shook their head with disappointed expressions. Vulpix kept looking around the area before crying out loudly in frustration. Justin knelt down beside Aly's Pokémon and began stroking its fur.

"I know how much you want to help find Aly's Egg. Let's regroup with all the others and come with a plan." Justin said. Vulpix looked up at him and calmed down a little.

"_We better find them. They took something pretty important to us both." _Justin thought to himself.

* * *

Aly and the other Pokémon waited patiently for their friends to return by the camp site. Aly sat down beside Espeon, who was still lying down to rest, and Mudkip with Squirtle in her lap.

"I'm worried. I hope Justin found my Pokémon Egg." She replied nervously while twiddling her thumbs.

Aly then noticed Mareep a few meters to her left, who had a very worried expression on its face.

"Mareep. Don't worry. Justin will be back before you know it!" Aly said trying to calm the baby Electric Pokémon.

"Ma…" Mareep moaned sadly. There were tears beginning to form in its eyes.

"_Poor thing. I didn't realize how close it grew to Justin. It must be really worried about him." _Aly thought to herself.

Moments later, she heard some shaking coming from the far bushes behind her. It startled her and the Pokémon, causing them to stand up and turn around with hesitant looks on their face.

"Um…Justin?" Aly said nervously. The shaking became progressively louder, indicating that whatever was there was getting close. Just as the sound reached its peak volume, it suddenly became quiet again, creating even more suspense. This caused Aly and the other Pokémon to become more scared.

"Um…hello-"

_WHOOSH!_

Something small jumped out of the bushes into the air.

"GIBLE!" a small dragon type Pokémon cried out loudly in the air.

Aly and the other Pokémon screamed out in fear as they embraced each other tightly. Mareep yelped out and ran towards a tree to cover its face and cower. Combusken, Vulpix and Justin later appeared into the scene by walking through the bushes. Gible giggled childishly before getting a good hit on the head from Combusken.

"Gible, did you really have to do that?" Justin sighed. He then walked over to Aly and the Pokémon group, who were all embracing each other tightly.

"Are you all right, Aly? Espeon? Squirtle? Mudkip?"

"Geez, that was frightening. But, we're fine." She replied, loosening her hold on the Pokémon. Justin then looked over to see Mareep trembling in fear while burying its head into a tree base. He sighed and walked over beside his electric Pokémon.

"Mareep. It's ok. It was just Gible playing a little prank."

Mareep looked over towards him, its face a teary mess.

"Heroes don't cry right? They're brave. That's what you want to be right? So put away those tears." Justin exclaimed while wiping Mareep's tears from its face with his finger. Mareep sniffled before putting on a trying determined face, but still had a little water form in its eyes.

"That's my young hero-in-training." He smiled. Shortly after the heart-warming moment, Aly walked up behind Justin.

"Justin, were you able to retrieve my Pokémon Egg?" Aly asked.

Justin's warm expression turned into a blank one. He then turned around towards his friend and looked downwards in disappointment. Aly knew what his face said, but didn't want to believe it.

"You found it…right? Please tell me…you did." She began stuttering.

"…We were chasing the thieves, but lost them after a while. I'm really sorry Aly." Justin mumbled.

Aly then dropped to her knees in shock and disbelief. Her hands clapped over her face as tears started to well up in her eyes.

"Just like that…it's gone. My Pokémon Egg is gone." She said to herself.

"Aly, wait-"

"How could I be so careless?! That Egg was my responsibility, and I messed up. My poor Egg…What a complete failure I am. Can I do anything right?!" Tears began streaming down her cheeks as Aly began to cry.

"Squirtle…" Squirtle cried out softly as it looked up at its sad trainer while hugging her arm. Vulpix began growling out loud, still frustrated from not being able to help.

"We're going to find your Egg!" Justin spoke up as he placed both of his hands on Aly's shoulders while shaking her lightly.

"How could you be so sure?" Aly remarked back.

"Trust me! We're going to find it!"

"Then where?! Where are we going to look?! This forest is massive Justin! How can we possibly find those thieves now?!" Aly shouted loudly through her tears, which silenced Justin and all the other Pokémon. She was really shaken up by this ordeal; the saddest she's been in a while.

"Aly…" Justin said softly.

"Um, excuse me?" A voice called out. Justin and Aly looked in the direction it came from to find a boy and a girl standing right next to their campfire. They appeared to be Pokémon trainers as well who were around the same age as Justin and Aly. The boy was in a purple sweater with brown pants, while the girl wore a red light jacket and beige pants

"Can we help you?" Justin said.

"Sorry to bother you, but is it possible that you guys had things stolen from grass Pokémon?" The girl asked politely. Justin and Aly's eyes widened since their situation matched the question.

"Yeah, we did." Justin answered. "Do you know anything about it?"

"We do. Actually, we just had things stolen too this past hour." The boy explained.

"That's awful. I'm sorry to hear that." Aly said as she wiped her tears away.

"No need. We hope to get our stuff back." The girl replied.

"Same here! We're going thieve… the thieves!" Justin said dramatically while giggling a little. Aly and the other 2 trainers looked at him confused.

"This isn't the best time to use jokes." Aly said bluntly giving Justin's head a small knock.

"My bad…" Justin sighed lightly. The boy and girl looked at each other and giggled lightly.

"I forgot to mention that we know where those thieves are keeping things." The boy mentioned

"What?! You do?!" Justin gasped.

"Yep. We managed to follow the thieving triplets Ivysaur, Nuzleaf and Bayleef to their hiding spot, but were pushed away by their grass attack onslaught. Plus, from what we saw, there's even more things to consider."

"What do you mean?" Aly asked curiously.

"We'll explain later. But, since we're going to work together for a bit, we should introduce ourselves. My name is Kate from Emerald City." The girl said.

"My name is Ray, also from Emerald City. Kate and I are childhood friends and we decided to journey together. We just started our journey recently, so we're technically rookies." The boy added.

"My name is Justin Riser from the Eruva region! Pokémon Trainer extraordinaire!" Justin exclaimed. "Behind us, the Pokémon that are mine are Espeon, Combusken, Mudkip, Gible and Mareep. Everyone, say hi!"

All of Justin's Pokémon cried out and waved out with the exception of Mareep, who ran up behind Justin's leg and hid while sticking a bit of its head out to see the trainers. Kate noticed this and waved while smiling.

"I'm Aly Eatos from Pallet Town in the Kanto Region. The tamer one of the duo. It's nice to meet you both. My Pokémon are Vulpix and Squirtle." Aly smiled.

"You guys sure got some cool Pokémon. I'm sure you're both experienced trainers!" Ray exclaimed.

"You bet I am! I have four badges already! Gearing for my fifth one in Emerald City!" Justin stated.

"No way! Dude, that's awesome! The leader Daisy is tough, but I have a feeling you're going to do great!"

"Thanks buddy! Winning is what I do best."

"You are so chill man! I wish I can be like you!" Ray said in awe.

"Well, let me teach you young grasshopper!" Justin replied while putting his arm around Ray. The 2 male trainers began to walk into the forest while conversing and leaving everyone behind. Aly, Kate, and all of the Pokémon left behind just felt confused.

"It seems like those two are pretty alike." Kate giggled.

"It appears so…" Aly added. She then thought about her missing Pokémon Egg and sighed.

"Are you ok?" Kate asked.

"Oh, I'm just worried about the Pokémon Egg that the grass Pokémon took from me." Aly replied.

"Oh no! Don't worry, we'll get all of our things back!"

"Yeah, I hope so."

"C'mon. We should follow those two so we don't get separated." Kate said as she placed her hand on Aly's shoulder. Aly looked at Kate and saw a positive expression beaming from her face. That simple smile gave Aly a little more confidence in herself.

"You're right." Aly smiled. "C'mon everybody, let's go."

* * *

The four trainers walked through the forest for no less than ten minutes before arriving at the site. Kate and Ray advised Justin, Aly and their Pokémon to hide in bushes to observe their surroundings. What was in front of them was a small area that had a chopped, but massive tree trunk base supplanted in the middle. Its height was probably twice the size of the many other trees in the forest even though it lost its upper half. It really looked out of place since it was just a large tree stump without any branches or leaves.

"That thing looks huge! I wonder how tall it wold have been with its upper half." Justin whispered out.

"Look ahead." Kate whispered back. The darkness of the night made it hard to see, but there were rays of light coming down from the moon onto the ground that provided some visibility because of the missing top half of the tree. Justin and Aly observed the tree even more only to find a wide opening into the tree. At the very edge of the opening sat a tall glass incubator with an Egg in it.

"That's my Pokémon Egg!" Aly exclaimed quietly. Justin then noticed a chain hanging down from the top of the incubator.

"There's my thing they stole too." Justin said to himself.

"This is great. The thieves don't seem to be here now. Let's go and get our stuff." Aly suggested. Kate and Ray looked at each other and turned to Aly with doubtful looks.

"What's wrong?" Aly asked.

"It's not that easy. Look even closer." Ray pointed out.

Aly and Justin looked back on at the massive tree opening and saw something even more unexpected. There were a bunch of small Pokémon walking out from within the tree. They were grass Pokémon, more specifically Bulbasaur, Seedot and Chikorita. Each of them had worried expressions on their faces and all seemed very anxious.

"Didn't see that coming." Justin said.

"I'm pretty sure they're related to the Pokémon Thieves. Our theory is that the Thieves are providing the young ones with certain things like food, toys, etc." Ray explained.

"We've noticed that the little ones hide inside the tree while waiting for the 3 thieves to return with things. Then the trio disappears right after to scavenge more things away from trainers."

"But that's our stuff there. We have a right to get it back!" Aly whispered with authority.

"I know that. But, look at their expressions and how worried they must be. We want to find a way to take back our stuff without scaring them. Plus, we're not strong enough to battle the thieving trio if they come back." Kate added.

"But, I am. I can take those 3 out easily." Justin bragged while crossing his arms and smiling nonchalantly.

"Damn…this guy is so cool and confident…" Ray sighed in awe, but was pinched on the side by Kate for getting sidetracked. Ray subtly cleared his throat to excuse his behaviour and began to speak.

"Ahem…we'd like to avoid battling. We want to take our things in a peaceful way."

"All right, and where has that gotten you guys?" Justin asked bluntly. Ray and Kate looked down with no comeback to that statement.

"I don't know what things they stole from you, but for Aly and I, they are very important to us. We have to get them back no matter what. Now is our chance, lets-"

"Justin, shush! The thieves are here." Aly cut Justin off by yanking on his jacket. All the trainers laid low and stayed quiet as the far left bushes began to rustle. Soon enough, the Ivysaur, Nuzleaf and Bayleef from before appeared out into the open and ran towards the tree opening. The youngling Pokémon had joyful expressions on their faces upon seeing their companions and rushed over to welcome them back. They all seemed really happy now that their evolved counterparts returned. It appeared that the thieving trio had once again snatched more items, this time food.

"Another unfortunate person got their things stolen." Ray stated quietly.

"I get that it's for the little ones, but stealing from people just isn't right." Justin added. "I'm ready to fight and get our things back. You with me Aly?"

Justin looked to his right and found his friend staring at the grass Pokémon in deep concentration.

"Aly?" Kate murmured.

Aly couldn't hear any of her friends because she was heavily focusing on the interactions between the Grass Pokémon. Bayleef dropped a lot of berries it was carrying with its vine whip onto the ground, but the pre-evolved Pokémon's attention was still on the trio as if there wasn't any food at all. The Bulbasaur, Seedot and Chikorita did things that offspring would do with their parents like dance around them or try to climb on top of them. Ivysaur and Nuzleaf then said something to each other, which caused the little Pokémon to look depressed again.

"I think they're going out to hunt for more things again." Aly whispered to the group.

"How do you know?" Kate asked.

No response again from Aly, who went back to focusing on the Grass Pokémon. She then noticed Bayleef walking over towards the inside of the tree base and picking various items up with its vine whip, presumably other trinkets stolen from travellers. It walked back over and laid them out in front of the little Pokémon in an attempt to calm them. This however had no effect, as the little Grass Pokémon still looked really sad. The Chikorita began to cry a little, which then snowballed over with the Seedot and Bulbasaur as well. Aly took full notice of this and started to think of various explanations for this situation.

"They're crying?" Justin said.

"Well, I'm pretty sure they don't the trio to leave them all alone." Kate replied.

The Ivysaur, Nuzleaf and Bayleef all looked at each in concern before tending to the little ones and trying to comfort them.

"I think I got it." Aly said.

"Well tell us then." Ray said back.

"You've been keeping us in the dark for a while now." Kate added. Justin began to chuckle at the last remark, causing his friends to look at him.

"It's funny because we're already in the dark…as in night time…" Justin said while lightly laughing. Everyone had no response to that, which then lead Justin to curl in a ball and sigh in disappointment, while Ray and Kate refocused on Aly.

"Anyways…we saw how the youngling Pokémon were all happy and joyous when the thieving trio arrived. Now, they're all upset because the trio are leaving. I think that the little ones don't even seem to care much for all the knickknacks that are given to them. No trinket could ever please them, as they are happier when their evolved counterparts are around."

"Really?" Ray gasped.

"Well, look over there. Bayleef and Nuzleaf are trying to occupy and entertain the Chikorita and Seedot with those items there. But, the latter 2 are more less ignoring the items and still haven't calm down yet. I also noticed that the food that Bayleef laid out when they arrived was untouched, as the little ones on focused on welcoming their friends back home." Aly explained further.

"I noticed that, but didn't really think of it that way. It makes sense." Kate said with an understanding tone.

"Imagine being a little Pokémon like them. They're alone for most of the time since the trio seem to go out all the time. Sooner or later, not even the flashiest toys can overcome one's loneliness. In fact, Justin said it perfectly back at our campfire."

"I did?" Justin remarked confused, just joining the conversation now.

"You sure did. You said that nothing is more fun or warming then spending time with people you care about. The same goes for them. All the little ones want to do is be together with the trio." Aly said. She looked back through the bushes to see the continuing struggle for the thieving trio to calm their young ones with the many stolen items available.

"Nice thinking there Aly." Justin remarked, causing his travelling companion to smile.

"You're really smart and astute Aly." Kate added.

"Do you have a new plan to get our things back?" Ray asked.

"Yep. It's really just a straight-up chat, but I'm going to need some help from the Pokémon." Aly replied as she looked behind her to where all of Justin and Aly's Pokémon were.

"You guys still awake?" She whispered. They all replied back quietly in their respective Pokémon tongue.

"Vulpix and Mareep. I'll need both your help. Come over here with me." Aly stated.

"Vul." Vulpix cried out softly as it crawled its way towards its trainer.

"Ma…" Mareep mumbled nervously making its way forward.

* * *

It had been almost 5 minutes and the Bulbasaur, Seedot and Chikorita still hadn't calmed down yet. No matter what item Bayleef brought from the tree base, the younglings continued to cry. This made Ivysaur and Nuzleaf even more worried and confused on what to do. All of a sudden, they heard some rustling noises coming from the bushes on the left, making turn around frightened in that direction. Aly and Vulpix crawled out of the bushes into the open with Mareep hiding right behind Aly's leg. The three of them started to walk towards the Grass Pokémon, which created more uneasiness for the thieving trio.

"I'm just want to have a little chat." Aly said trying to hide her nervousness. Vulpix stared down the thieving trio with its burning eyes to show seriousness in its trainer's offer. Mareep scurried a long while occasionally looking back at Justin in the bushes, who encouraged it to keep going. The Chikorita, Bulbasaur and Seedot became increasingly afraid, which lead to Ivysaur taking action.

"Saur!" Ivysaur cried out as it rashly shot a razor leaf at the incoming trainer.

"Vul!" Vulpix roared as it released a flamethrower that disintegrated the oncoming leaves to a crisp.

"Vul, Vulpix! Vulpix!" Vulpix spoke out to the Grass Pokémon, trying to get everyone to understand Aly's request to talk. After its cry, the thieving trio then settled down a little.

"Thanks Vulpix." Aly said graciously.

"Now. Please hear me out. First of all, you should know better than to steal from others. Taking things that aren't yours just isn't right, no matter how trivial or important they are to that person. What kind of example are you 3 setting for the little ones here?"

The Ivysaur, Nuzleaf, and Bayleef sulked down, knowing that what they did wasn't right.

"Vul! Vulpix, Vul!" Vulpix cried out while making gestures with its front left paw.

"See, Vulpix here used to be in your shoes when we first met. It was a stray leader of fellow grass Pokémon and looked out for their well-beings. Only Vulpix lead with honour and respect, and knew that no matter how rough things got, it would never resort to stealing from others in order to survive. It wanted to be a good role model for its followers." Aly explained.

The Ivysaur, Bayleef and Nuzleaf looked even more ashamed of what they did. The Bulbasaur, Seedot and Chikorita looked up at their evolved-counterparts, curious as to why they seemed gloomy.

"Oh yeah, I have one more thing to tell you guys about. I know why the little ones here were acting the way they were before." Aly remarked, which got the attention of the thieving trio instantly.

"I'm a traveller with my friend Justin. We're really good friends with each other and the Pokémon we've caught along the way. After seeing what was going on here, it was obvious why the little ones won't settle down. You see, it's like my friend said earlier tonight. True happiness and fun is being together with the people and Pokémon you care about. I know the 3 of you had the interest of the little ones in mind when stealing things. But, you failed to notice that they're lonely without you guys around them. They are most happy when you all are together. No toy or trinket in the world can replace that belongingness." Aly explained.

"Why don't you tell them Mareep about you and Justin?" She added while looking down at the electric Pokémon behind her leg.

Mareep looked up with an unsure expression, but mustered up the courage to talk to the Grass Pokémon. In its own respective tongue language, Mareep went on about how being with its trainer Justin really made it happy and the fact that they were going to become superheroes together. The Chikorita, Seedot and Bulbasaur beamed of joy listening to the bond Mareep shared with its trainer, while the Ivysaur, Nuzleaf and Bayleef began to realize Aly's point. Aly then kneeled down in front of the Grass thieves and patted all of them on their heads.

"Now, I want you all to promise me that you won't steal from travellers anymore. Set a good example for the little ones here so you can be proud of them. I also want you guys to try to be together as much as you can. Because being with the people you care about is what brings true happiness." Aly smiled. Ivysaur, Nuzleaf and Bayleef looked up at the girl with envy as if she was some saint and nodded.

"That's good to know. Now, do you think we could get our stuff back?" Aly asked nervously. All the Grass Pokémon nodded and pointed towards the inside of the tree base.

"Hey guys, we can get our stuff back!" Aly shouted towards her friends. Justin, his Pokémon, Ray and Kate then stood up from hiding and began to walk over to Aly.

"Wow that was impressive." Ray remarked.

"Aly reprimanded the thieves, fixed their problems and got our things back with such poise." Kate added.

"I knew she could do it!" Justin said with a smile. Espeon, who was right beside him, nodded in agreement.

* * *

Ivysaur, Nuzleaf and Bayleef walked the trainers over towards the tree stump to where all the items were. Ray and Kate found their possessions, which turned out to be a watch and wallet, lying against the back stump. Aly found her egg incubator chamber right where she saw it from the bushes. She picked it up and held it in tight.

"Thank goodness I found it. I'll always be careful from now on." Aly said softly.

"I'm glad you got your egg back Aly. You did it all on your own too!" Justin exclaimed.

"Well, I guess I did. But, it was also thanks to Vulpix and Mareep too."

"That's true, but you lead the charge. You're very good with talking with Pokémon and understanding them, you know that?"

"Well, thanks. By the way Justin, what did you lose?" Aly asked while looking around in the tree stump. This made Justin very nervous as he completely forgot about the small gold chain dangling from the egg incubator's top. He quickly reached in with his hand, grabbed the chain and yanked it back into his pocket. This caught Aly's attention and made her curious.

"Um, I got it back…so no need to worry! Heh…heh." Justin said while trying to laugh it off.

"C'mon, tell me. What was it?" Aly pushed.

"Don't worry about it! Geez!" Justin whined sarcastically. Aly rolled her eyes and gave her attention back towards the Grass Pokémon.

"Thank you for giving our stuff back. Remember our promise to not steal anymore and always stick together." Aly said happily.

All the Grass Pokémon smiled and waved goodbye before taking their leave into the forest bushes. The 4 trainers and the Pokémon with them waved goodbye as well. Right after, Ray and Kate turned to face Justin and Aly.

"Well, I guess we should head off too." Ray stated.

"Thank you so much for getting our things back for us Aly! You're a real lifesaver! I told you that you could do it!" Kate exclaimed.

"You're very welcome Kate." Aly smiled.

"Now Ray. Be sure to remember all the advice Sensei Justin taught you." Justin said sophistically.

"I will! But, I'll also remember Aly's kindness and bravery in that situation. That's something I'll try to emulate in my travels!" Ray remarked.

"Oh…well, I'm glad I can help." Aly said flustered.

"Time to get even more lost going to Emerald City…" Justin moaned.

"You know that we're basically right on the outskirts of it." Kate added.

"…what?"

"Yeah, see those dim lights to the left? That's Emerald City." Ray pointed towards an opening in the forest that showed window lights from buildings and the night sky. Aly and Justin looked over towards that sight and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank Arceus!" Justin shouted out.

"We thought we were going to be lost forever!" Aly added.

"Well, enjoy your travels and until we meet again!" Ray said as he and Kate started to walk away.

"Goodbye guys!" Justin and Aly both yelled out until they disappeared from sight.

"Well, shall we go?" Aly asked.

"You know it. A good night's rest, and then its battle time!" Justin shouted while jumping into the air with joy.


	32. Chapter 32 - Battle in the Garden

_**AN: New Chapter here. I've been surprisingly more into writing these days, so it explains my "earlier" chapter posting date. The fifth gym battle, hope you all enjoy.**_

**Chapter 32 – Battle in the Garden**

It was late morning in Emerald City, where Justin Riser and Aly Eatos walked through the streets on route to the Emerald Gym. Two days ago, they made their way out of the Emerald Forest and settled in the Pokémon Centre that night. An off day was then given to Justin and his Pokémon to rest up before the gym battle and for Aly to shop for supplies. The city wasn't particularly different in terms of building and population size from all the other cities they've visited. One area stood out however, and it was the beautiful green life that bred all over the city.

Willow and oak trees sprouted from soil beds in the middle of the street islands, while trimmed, green bushes and shrubs populated the end of the sidewalks. Many of the buildings had beautiful flowers were planted along its sides, adding a delicate décor to the city. There were some grass Pokémon hanging around these areas, which the citizens didn't seem to mind, but rather welcome. City maintenance teams performed inspections on the quality of the green life, showing that nature was a big deal to the city.

"Beautiful city, don't you think?" Justin remarked.

"It reminds me of Celadon City back in the Kanto region." Aly responded. "We should definitely sight see for a little once we're done at the gym."

"Totes!"

Both trainers breathed in the air, which seemed to be much more clean and fresh compared to previous cities. This made sense since nature was occupying the place.

"Now…the gym should be on this street." Justin murmured while looking at his Poketab. He and his friend continued down a street that included a flashy game corner, a gourmet vegetarian restaurant and tons of Pokémon product shops. Aly looked in awe, mesmerized by all the different amenities the city provided to its citizens and bypassing travellers. However, she was quickly snapped out of her fascination by a light tug on her shirt by Justin. They had arrived at the Emerald City Gym. It was a large, rectangular building with planes of glass as its walls from the middle upwards. A different variety of flowers sprouted from soil beds that surrounding the outside of the gym.

"I like the presentation." Aly said.

"It's nice and all, but the only thing I care right now is beating this gym!" Justin exclaimed.

"Good luck."

"Thanks!"

With that, the 2 trainers walked through the front doors. Inside, it looked more like a garden rather than a Pokémon gym. The entire room had rows of plants and flowers on trolleys that were catered to by beautiful girls. Various grass Pokémon such as Bellsprout, Sunflora and Lilligant assisted the females with their care. Some of the glass planes on the roof were angled upwards, allowing direct sunlight to reach the plants and give them nutrients.

"Wow, beautiful isn't it Justin?" Aly remarked. She however did not get a response from her friend, who appeared to be blushing. Aly looked in the direction and saw that the sunlight also added radiance to the beauty of the girls present, who were eyeing Justin.

"Umm…sure…" Justin said nervously.

Annoyed, Aly used her elbow to hit Justin on his side and looked away with her arms crossed.

"OW! What the heck?" Justin cried out in pain and confusion. Aly didn't respond as she flicked her blond hair backwards away from her face. One of the girls in the gym then walked up to the 2 trainers, causing Justin to stiffen.

"Good morning. Are you here to challenge our gym leader today?" She asked politely.

The words challenge and battle seemed to snap Justin out of his nervousness and instantly become fired up again for battle.

"That's right! I'm Justin Riser from the Eruva Region, ready for battle!" Justin exclaimed exuberantly. Aly looked over, quite surprised (and a little relieved) on how fast that turnaround was.

"Well, aren't you all fired up? How cute. Very well, follow me this way." The girl said as she walked the other way. The 2 trainers followed her all the way to the other side of the room and through a large door leading into another area.

The next room was sort of similar to the previous one, with the big difference of there being a big, earth battlefield drawn out in the middle. A mini forest filled with various types of trees, bushes and grasses on all sides of the room surrounded the battlefield.

"Daisy! You have a challenger!" The girl called out. Justin and Aly looked forwards and saw another beautiful girl sitting crossed legged in the middle of the battlefield with her eyes closed. She had long, light brown hair tied loosely to the side of her left shoulder and had fairly light skin. She wore a white summer dress, a white sun hat and a gold necklace.

Daisy opened her eyes to see who had called her, stood up, and began to walk gracefully towards the group.

"Thanks Mana. I can handle it from here." Daisy said softly. The other girl nodded and took her leave. Aly began to examine the lady that stood before her. She didn't look much older than Justin or her, nor was she much taller than Aly ether. Daisy was the epitome of beauty. Her rich brown hair, emerald-green eyes, glowing porcelain-like skin, and summer-ish outfit made her look like some sort of goddess. Her smile would make the whole world sigh in contentment and bask in her glory.

"I just want to say that…you are absolutely gorgeous!" Aly said shyly. Daisy was a little taken back by the comment and began to blush.

"Aw, thank you. I think you're pretty too." Daisy said while scratching the back of her head.

"Oh! You think? Well, I don't really think so…"

"Trust me. Your sparkling blonde hair is something that girls would die to have. Complimented with your deep blue eyes, you're definitely up there on the pretty scale."

Aly began to feel tingly inside after being complimented by a goddess (in her eyes). Justin, oblivious to what was being said, felt it was time for him to step in.

"My name is Justin Riser! I'd like to challenge you to a gym battle!" Justin remarked confidently. Daisy turned her attention to him, checked him head to toe, and then smiled.

"Well now, I can see that you're quite an experienced trainer. I accept your challenge Justin." Daisy said with a little spunk.

"Yes! Let's do this!"

* * *

Justin and Daisy stood at opposite ends of the battlefield while Aly was on the sides near the battle judge.

"Oh, one thing before we begin. Aly, take this!" Justin said as he took a Pokeball from his belt and tossed it towards Aly. She caught the ball with two hands and looked confused.

"Let Mareep out of its ball. I want it to see this gym battle." He added.

"Got it!" Aly replied. She released the small, woolly Pokémon onto the ground, who stretched its body out before letting out a small cry.

"Mareep, Justin's going to do battle now with the gym leader. He wants you to watch." Aly explained. Mareep looked at Aly, and then looked towards the battlefield where its trainer was.

"Take notes Mareep. This is what we're going to do together soon!" Justin exclaimed. Even with its trainer's advice, Mareep sported an unsure expression as it got ready to watch.

"The Emerald City Gym Battle is about to begin! Each trainer is eligible to use two Pokémon for this battle, and the winner will be decided when one's Pokémon are both unable to battle. Only the challenger can use substitutions. Now, the gym leader will show off her Pokémon first!" the battle judge announced.

"Here we go. Roselia, help me out!" Daisy cried out as she threw her Pokeball towards the battlefield. Out came a small, green Pokémon with a blue and red rose as its hands and 3 spikes on its head.

"Roselia!" The Roselia cried out while curtsying towards Justin.

"Nice Pokémon! This must be a grass type gym. Espeon, I choose you!" Justin exclaimed as he released his reliable psychic type partner.

"Esp!" Espeon cried out loudly.

"Now that both Pokémon are out, let the battle begin!" The battle judge announced, waving the flags she was carrying downwards.

"Espeon! Start off with your psybeam attack!" Justin commanded quickly. Espeon got into a battle stance and released a colour beam of psychic energy from the jewel on its forehead towards Roselia.

"Roselia, petal dance barrier." Daisy commanded calmly while making graceful arm gestures.

Roselia waved its arms around as if it was performing some sort of dance and conjured a storm of petals that violently spun around itself. The speed was so fast that eventually Roselia was no longer visible, creating a wind that caused Justin to brace himself. The psybeam attack made its way towards Roselia, but could not penetrate the petal dance barrier and was split off in many different directions.

"What the crap!" Justin cried out shocked.

"Now, use your toxic spikes." Daisy commanded. The petal dance barrier began to dissipate, making Roselia visible again. It then raised on of its rose hands and waved it around twice, causing short, purple energy spikes to shoot up from the ground under Espeon. The psychic Pokémon flinched as it prepared for damage to be taken, but it didn't feel anything. The spikes only stayed for a short while before sinking back into the ground.

"What was the point of that?" Justin asked.

"You don't know? I guess you'll find out later." Daisy giggled cheerfully. "Roselia, stun spore."

"Roselia!" Roselia cried out. It waved its arms in the air again, leading to orange powder coming out of its rose hands and travelling towards Espeon.

"Espeon! Use quick attack to get out of the way!" Justin commanded. Espeon quickly dashed off to the side and avoided the spores.

"Now use shadow ball!"

Espeon stopped at Roselia's left, created a dark energy ball of darkness and hurled it at the grass Pokémon.

"Petal Dance barrier." Daisy commanded.

Justin gritted his teeth upon hearing that, knowing that his attack was going to be blocked again. However, the petals didn't appear in time to save Roselia from the attack, causing the grass Pokémon to be hit and sustain a good deal of damage.

"Nice Espeon! Lucked out!" Justin exclaimed happily.

Espeon looked back at its trainer and echoed its trainer's rejoice.

Daisy however smirked, creating confusion amongst Justin and his Pokémon. All of a sudden, red petals began to appear and swirl around fast in the air. Only this time, it surrounded both Roselia and Espeon, covering them from each trainer's sight.

"That's not good!" Justin remarked as he raised his arms over his face to block the wind.

It was then that the petal dance barrier began to close in. Espeon noticed this too late and was sent forwards by the violent petals enclosing it, causing it to cry in pain which Justin heard.

"Espeon!"

"Roselia, stun spore." Daisy said, remaining calm despite the heavy wind storm.

Inside the shrinking petal dance barrier, Espeon was knocked over right in front of Roselia. The grass Pokémon waved one of its rose hands in front of a helpless Espeon and showered it with orange light spores. Espeon instantly began to feel the effects of the attack and tightened up. The petal dance barrier slowly dissipated and both Pokémon were visible again, with Roselia distancing itself from Espeon. Justin looked on at his psychic type partner struggling to stand up while yellow electric waves sparked around its body.

"Crap, Espeon's paralyzed." Justin stated.

"Magical leaf!" Daisy commanded. Roselia formed glowing leaves above its body and released them towards the psychic type Pokémon.

"Deflect it back with Iron Tail!" Justin commanded.

Espeon made its tail glow bright and got in position to whip it (and nae nae), but was frozen by the paralysis. The sharp leaves made contact with Espeon and sent it backwards onto the ground near Justin.

"Espeon!" Justin cried out worriedly. Espeon slowly got up and shook it off, but stumbled to the left a little.

"Weren't expecting this from little ol' me, now where you? I'm more than just a pretty face." Daisy giggled.

"_Totes wasn't. She's good. That petal dance barrier blocks virtually any attack. And now I have to deal with the paralysis to Espeon? I'm in a deep pickle, that's for sure." _He thought to himself as sweat began to slide down the side of his face.

"Espeon, try your psybeam attack!" Justin commanded rashly. Espeon began to create its psychic beam in the jewel of its forehead.

"Petal dance barrier!" Daisy commanded. Roselia created the barrier of petals and blocked the psychic attack, causing a smoke barrier to occur that clouded Espeon.

"Magical Leaf!" Daisy added. This time, a small circle opening was formed in the petal dance barrier that showed Roselia shooting sharp, glowing leaves at the cloud Espeon was shrouded in. As the leaves were incoming, Justin had a short eureka moment.

"_That's it!" _He thought to himself as he drew up a plan in his head.

"Espeon, shadow ball!" Justin commanded.

Espeon quickly jumped into the air and out of the smoke cloud, which caught Daisy and Roselia by surprise. It then released a shadow ball attack through the gap in the petal dance barrier at Roselia, hitting it hard and sending onto the ground. The petals disappeared soon after as well.

"Nice! We just have to open up the barrier and attack through the hole! Espeon, quickly use psybeam before it closes!" Justin commanded.

Espeon began to prepare yet another psybeam attack that might end the battle, but paralysis had other ideas.

"Petal Dance!" Daisy commanded. Roselia conjured the plethora of petals used for its barrier, but shot them towards a paralyzed Espeon as an attack this time. Espeon tried to hold its ground against the oncoming petals, but was eventually pushed back and landed hard on the ground.

"That was a nice, sneaky stunt, but it wasn't enough!" Daisy lauded. "Roselia, set up the petal dance barrier again!"

Justin grunted in frustration as the petal dance barrier was set up yet again, covering Roselia from sight and attacks.

"_All right. It's go time! I'm going to put all my faith in Espeon with these last moves. Hopefully she won't be stunned by the paralysis. We're going to use the most powerful psychic attack she can know. If it fails, I'm finished." _Justin thought to himself.

"Thinking of a last second strategy?" Daisy asked.

"Kind of. You don't know me, but I'm the kind of person to go all out while battling especially near the end. And that's exactly what I'm going to pull. It's now or never!" Justin exclaimed. Espeon felt its trainer's passion and lifted itself off the ground into a battle stance.

"Wow, your Pokémon was able to stand. You must have a tight bond with it. Bring it on!" Daisy said.

"All right Espeon! It's do or die now. Use quick attack!" Justin commanded.

"Esp-eon!" Espeon cried out loudly as it began to charge towards the petal dance barrier.

"Roselia! Magical leaf!" Daisy commanded. Roselia popped in the open thanks to the new hole in the barrier and shot magical leaf at the incoming psychic Pokémon.

"Dodge with quick attack into the air!" Justin called out. Espeon jumped up into the air and avoided the glowing leaves attack.

"All right, in position!" Justin remarked.

"Afraid not! Roselia, close the barrier!" Daisy called out. Roselia nodded as petals began to whirl over the hole until there was no more.

"That's not what I meant. I have something else planned!"

"What?!"

"_Please, one more attack! Paralysis, don't stop us now."_ Justin prayed to himself before yelling his command.

"Use Psychic to stop the petals!"

"Espeon!" Espeon growled out as its eyes and body had a blue, glowing outline around them. All the swirling petals then had blue, glowing outlines as well and stopped moving in the air, making Roselia visible again.

"Our barrier!" Daisy cried out in shock.

"Now send it right back at them!" Justin yelled. Through its psychic powers, Espeon sent all the petals downwards towards Roselia with a huge amount of force, causing a big smoke explosion to happen around the grass Pokémon. Daisy raised her arms above her face to shield from the smoke. After a few moments, the smoke began to dissipate and showed Roselia lying on the ground with no movement at all.

"Roselia is unable to battle. The first win goes to Justin Riser!" The battle judge announced while raising a flag towards the male trainer.

"Boo-yah! We did Espeon!" Justin cried out happily. Espeon looked back at its trainer and smiled. It then stumbled to its right and fell onto its side. Justin ran up to his Pokémon and picked it up in his arms.

"I think that's enough for you today. Great job partner." Justin said softly.

"Esp…" Espeon cried weakly, agreeing with its trainer. Justin then looked over to the battle judge and confirm his Pokémon's withdrawal.

"Espeon is also unable to battle. Which means that each trainer has one Pokémon left to use." The battle judge announced.

Justin walked over to Aly with Espeon in his arms and placed his psychic type Pokémon beside her.

"Watch over Espeon for me, will you?" Justin asked.

"You bet! Bring it home!" Aly cheered. Justin then looked down at Mareep, who looked at its trainer with envy and amazement.

"Keep watching Mareep, we're just getting started." He muttered before walking back to his side of the battlefield. By then, Daisy had already returned her Roselia back to its Pokeball.

"That was pretty extreme there. Using our own barrier against us and not being frozen by the paralysis once through all those attacks. Something tells me that the bond between you and Espeon helped you achieve victory." Daisy stated calmly.

"Well, luck was definitely a factor. But, if what you said is the case then I'm glad. I put all my faith into Espeon with those last rush of attacks. All or nothing, just the way I like it!" Justin replied.

"You definitely have heart and spirit. I like you. But, you are still my opponent, so the battle must go on!" Daisy exclaimed as she threw her second Pokeball onto the field. Out came a massive Pokémon with a big flower blooming from its back that was supported by a thick, brown trunk and surrounded by green fronds.

"VEE-NUSAUR!" The Pokémon roared out loudly, the power of its cry shot a powerful wind that caused Justin to stand his ground.

"No way! I get to face a Venusaur?! That's tight!" Justin exclaimed as he jumped up and down like a little boy. Daisy giggled lightly while Aly just shook her head. Espeon smiled while giggling softly in embarrassment and Mareep awed at its trainer's positivity.

"I got you right here! Combusken, let's go!" Justin called out, releasing the tall fire type Pokémon.

"Com-busken!" Combusken cried out.

"Battle begin!" the battle judge announced.

All of a sudden, purple glowing energy spikes shot up from the ground underneath Combusken. The fire type Pokémon cried out in pain as purple energy waves began to resonate around its body. Shortly after, the spikes disappeared and Combusken appeared normal again.

"What the heck?" Justin scoffed.

"Now do you see why I used toxic spikes? It poisons any Pokémon that steps onto the battlefield, in this case your Combusken. The pressure is on now for you to win before the poison gets it." Daisy explained.

"Damn it! Combusken! We must hurry! Let's gain a huge lead with your flamethrower attack!" Justin commanded hastily yet again.

Combusken inhaled a deep breath before releasing a powerful stream of fire from its mouth directly at Venusaur.

"Venusaur, body slam earth barrier." Daisy commanded.

"Saur!" Venusaur roared out. It raised is 2 front legs and body into the air before slamming them down hard onto the ground. The force was so strong that a chunk of the battlefield in front of it shot into the air and covered the massive grass Pokémon.

"Wow, what power." Justin remarked. The flamethrower was easily blocked by the battlefield earth before extinguishing away.

"Vine whip." Daisy ordered. All of a sudden, just as the chunk of earth fell back into the ground, 2 vines travelled towards Combusken at a high speed. The vines whipped Combusken across the face, knocking the fire type Pokémon onto its right knee in pain.

"You ok buddy?' Justin called out.

Combusken nodded, but was then struck by the toxic when purple energy waves coursed around its body.

"_Great, now I got this status infliction to deal with. That Daisy can certainly apply the pressure." _Justin thought to himself. He quickly came back to reality and ordered his next attack.

"Combusken, use your flamethrower again!' He shouted.

"Com-busken!" Combusken cried out, shooting the flamethrower attack out just like last time.

"Same thing Venusaur." Daisy commanded. Venusaur raised its front legs and body off the ground, and slammed it down to shoot chunks of the earth upwards and block the flamethrower again.

"Vine whip." Daisy added. Venusaur's vines then made their way towards Combusken.

Justin knew what was coming and quickly used his brain to think of a counter measure.

"Combusken, sky uppercut to deflect the vines!" Justin commanded.

At the last second, Combusken hooked its arms upwards and knocked away the vines from reaching its body.

"Now, run on top of those vines towards Venusaur!"

Combusken did a little hop into the air and landed on top of Venusaur's vines, which were close enough for the fire type Pokémon to stand comfortably on. With a burst of speed, Combusken dashed forward on the vines towards Venusaur.

"Shake it off Venusaur!" Daisy said a little more worried.

Venusaur began to shake its vines all over the place to make Combusken lose balance. However, before the shaking reached it, the fire Pokémon jumped into the air closed in on Venusaur.

"Fire Punch!" Justin commanded.

Combusken pulled its claw backwards, which became engulfed in flames, and use the momentum of falling to throw a heavy punch right at the grass Pokémon. Venusaur cried out in pain and was pushed backwards a few feet.

"That's how we roll Combusken!" Justin called out. Combusken landed on the ground and jumped backwards closer to Justin, but was then struck by the poison once again.

"Keep it together Combusken. We're making good progress!" Justin remarked, which got a nod from the fire type Pokémon.

Meanwhile, Aly, Espeon and Mareep continued to watch from the sidelines.

"How are you enjoying this Mareep?" Aly said as she looked down at the baby electric Pokémon.

"Mareep!" Mareep cried out, looking amazed at what had been going on during the battle.

"Esp. Esp-eon. Es-pee." Espeon spoke out to Mareep, which seemed to make it even more excited.

"Let's continue to cheer him on!" Aly exclaimed. Both Mareep and Espeon cried out in agreement and began to shout a cheer. It caught the attention of Justin, who made a gesture back towards his Pokémon.

"You ok Venusaur?" Daisy asked with concern. Venusaur stood back up on its legs, but stumbled to its left, clearly hurt from the last super effective attack.

"It's our chance to end this fast! Combusken, go in for one more fire punch!" Justin commanded.

"Combusken!' Combusken roared out as it began to dash towards the seemingly helpless Venusaur with a flaming claw.

"Game over!" Justin called out as Combusken neared its opponent. Just then, Daisy let out another sneaky smirk.

"Catch it with vine whip." She ordered.

All of a sudden, Venusaur went from helpless to serious and used its vine whip to strangle Combusken's arm before getting punched. The fire Pokémon was left surprised as it tried to free its arm, but struggled mightily.

"What?!" Justin shouted out shocked.

"Slam it on the ground!" Daisy commanded. Venusaur lifted Combusken high into the air before slamming it hard onto the ground. The force was hard enough to cause the earth to crack a little beneath Combusken.

"Now Body slam!' Daisy added.

"SAUR!" Venusaur roared loudly before it raised its front legs and body up into the air to prepare for the body slam.

"Combusken!" Justin cried out worriedly, fearing it would be the final blow. Venusaur acted quickly and dropped its body right on top of Combusken, which created a dust cloud to form around the Pokémon.

Justin waited for the cloud to dissipate to see the outcome. Once the view was clear, he gasped to find Venusaur being sort of lifted off the ground and in pain. Beneath it was Combusken's claws, engulfed in flames, barely holding the grass Pokémon into the air.

"It used fire punch to try and hold Venusaur…" Justin remarked, clearly impressed.

Venusaur got off of Combusken, who slowly got up to its feet. Just then, the poison struck again and force the fire type Pokémon onto its knees.

"Hang in there bud!' Justin called out. Combusken was all covered in scratches and breathing heavily, almost at its limit. Venusaur was pretty beat up too, but still had the strength to stand and fight on.

"I'm impressed with you Justin. This battle has clearly gone on longer than I anticipated. But, with your Combusken almost down for the count, this will be the final attack." Daisy announced. She raised her arm into the air and stated her command.

"Solarbeam!"

"Vee-nusaur!" Venusaur roared as it began to absorb energy into the flower on its back.

Justin looked down at Combusken, who was still on its knees panting exhausted.

"Combusken!" Justin shouted out to get the attention of his fire type Pokémon, who looked back at him.

"We can't let it end like this! We're so close to achieving our fifth badge. We've been through so many battles together, and you've gotten out of worse situations that this."

Combusken looked at him even more focused now.

"You know how we got this far? It's because of our teamwork and our belief in each other. I believe in you Combusken, the whole team believes in you. Show us that fighting spirit and let's win this battle!" Justin shouted out with emotion.

Combusken's eyes shot open as it had been revitalized. It stood back up on its feet and cried out loudly into the air. All of a sudden, flames started to spiral around its body, which began to turn red. This caught Daisy, Venusaur, Aly, and even Justin by surprise.

"Yes! I think this is Combusken's ability…BLAZE! Fire attacks are super charged now!" Justin exclaimed.

Daisy had a worried look on her face and knew she had to act fast.

"Fire your solarbeam quickly, Venusaur!" She called out. Venusaur nodded as it reached maximum power. It leaned forward a little and shot a massive white beam of energy towards Combusken.

"Combusken! Overpower it with flamethrower!" Justin commanded.

"Combusken!" Combusken cried out loudly as the flames surrounding it disappeared. It then released a flamethrower, which was much bigger and more powerful, at the incoming solarbeam. The two attacks collided and took turns pushing each other back. In the end though, Combusken's flamethrower overpowered solarbeam and made its way over to Venusaur. The grass type Pokémon became engulfed in flames and roared out loudly in pain.

"Venusaur!" Daisy called out.

"Fire punch! Finish it!" Justin commanded. Combusken ran up to Venusaur and did a fire punch uppercut, which actually lifted Venusaur into the air before falling hard onto its stomach. Venusaur let out a faint cry and laid flat on the ground.

"Venusaur is unable to battle, so Combusken wins! This means that the victor in today's gym battle goes to Justin Riser!" The battle judge announced, raising a flag towards Justin.

"HELLS YEAH! WE WON!" Justin cried out in joy. He ran over towards Combusken, who looked back and ran to embrace him.

"You were amazing Combusken. Well done." Justin said while hugging his Pokémon. Just then, Espeon made its way over and joined in on the embrace. Aly and Mareep soon followed after.

"Congratulations Justin! You were really cool out there." Aly remarked.

"Thanks! I guess I was!" Justin replied while laughing. He then looked down at Mareep, who had a look of excitement on its face.

"How'd you like our gym battle Mareep? We going to be heroes next time and fight one together next time?" He asked.

"Mareep! Mareep!" Mareep cried out excitedly while bouncing up and down. Justin smiled and pulled the electric Pokémon into the group hug as well.

Daisy walked over towards Venusaur and commended its efforts before returning it to its Pokeball. She then walked over towards Justin and the group, who noticed her presence.

"That was an incredible battle. One of the best I've ever been a part of since being at this gym. Justin, you are a one of a kind trainer." Daisy remarked with a smile. Justin let go of all his Pokémon and turned around to give his reply.

"I appreciate the compliment Daisy. It was a great battle. You really had me going there with your defense and slow burn strategy." Justin smiled.

"Well, you were able to overcome that with determination and trust in your abilities, and your Pokémon. The latter being the most important. As proof of your victory, here is the Emerald badge." Daisy said while presenting a green, leaf shaped, and shiny badge in her hand.

"Wow, thank you very much." Justin said while accepting it from her. He turned around to show his Pokemon, who all cried out in joy for their reward.

"Now you have five!" Aly remarked.

"That's right. Only three more to go!' Justin added.

* * *

Justin, Aly and Daisy walked outside the gym into the city in order to say their goodbyes.

"Since you came from the west, your next gym battle will be in Sapphire City. It's quite a far journey there. You'll have to go through Route 406, Slate Town, and Route 407 before arriving there . But, you guys should totally tour the city while you're still here." Daisy explained.

"Sounds good. Thanks Daisy." Justin replied.

"Well, at least it's simple routes, rather than forests or mountains." Aly groaned. Justin and Daisy chuckled at her remarked.

"Hey, at least you get to travel with such a cute guy." Daisy remarked as she shimmied up into Justin's chest with her hand caressing the side of his face, causing him to blush heavily.

"All right! All right! I get it! Thanks for everything Daisy. Let's go Justin." Aly said irritated as she grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

"Uh, thanks for everything Daisy!" Justin called out before arguing with Aly.

"Take care!' Daisy said while giggling.

Aly continued to drag Justin by his arm, causing even more pointless arguments to happen. But, the thing that mattered to Justin was that he was only 3 badges away from competing in the Minero League.

_**AN: Character heavy chapter incoming (one that will reveal something big). Stay tuned, and hopefully it'll turn out ok.**_


	33. Chapter 33 - Aly Eatos Part 1

**_AN: Good day everyone! Here is the latest chapter. As you can see, this is part one of the small arc. Part 2 will be uploaded very soon (like in next few days). This was originally going to be one chapter, but the whole thing turned out to be way too long, hence the split. It's a big moment for the character in the title. Hope it's to everyone's liking._**

**Chapter 33 – Aly Eatos Part 1**

"Justin! Slow down, will you?" Aly said in frustration, trying to keep up with her exuberant friend who was running down the street.

"Aly! They have an arcade! Let's play some games!" Justin exclaimed excitedly.

"All right! All right! Just hold up!"

Justin Riser and Aly Eatos were spending their afternoon touring the many attractions of Emerald City, which included visits to the Grand Emerald Shopping Mall and the Emerald All-You-Can-Eat Buffet. Justin, as per his usual self, led the way while getting excited over many small things. Aly found places that interested her as well, but was having difficulties keeping up with her male cohort.

"C'mon, I'll play you at this Dance Dance Revolution game! This will make us break a sweat!" Justin stated.

"Umm…I'm good, thanks." Aly politely declined while looking away shyly.

"What?! Then, how about we go over there!" Justin said while pointing to his right. It was a smaller, but big enough dirt battlefield where trainers can have recreational battles located further in the arcade.

"Let's battle! It's been awhile since your last one, so it might be best for you to get in some practise!"

"That's ok. I'm not really in the mood right now..."

"Are you all right Aly?" Justin asked confused.

"Uh…yeah! I'm fine, really fine!" Aly answered bashfully.

"I don't understand then. Why not? We said we were going to have fun while exploring the city today."

"Well…I just…there are other things to do that are fun! Games and Pokémon battles just happen to not be in that category at the moment." Aly said while trying to laugh it off.

"You know, there's something I've noticed about you for a while now. You never seem to want to do anything that involves physical activity. Also, you don't seem to want to participate in Pokémon battles anymore either. Are you sure there's nothing wrong with you?" Justin asked, looking serious and somewhat suspicious.

Aly started to become really nervous. Her heart began to beat really fast and her palms became sweaty (knees knocking, arms are heavy…mom's spaghetti). A thousand thoughts and emotions began racing through her mind because of Justin's interrogating question.

"Of…of course not! I…" Aly stuttered. She froze up, but quickly caught a glimpse of something at the corner of her left eye.

"Hey look! That store over there is having free samples for food!" Aly exclaimed, pointing to her left at a random food joint.

"REALLY?! I GOTTA GET ME SOME!' Justin shouted out as he turned around and ran in that direction.

Aly let out a big sigh of relief and began to calm down a little. Her breathing was a little heavier, but it eventually returned to normal.

"_That was close. Thank god he's kind of short-minded. But, how much longer can I keep this up?" _She thought to herself.

"_I have to tell him sooner or later. Maybe he'll understand._"

Aly began to have an internal conflict in her head that involved a lot of humming. After a few moments of silence and staring at the ground, she chinned up with a serious expression on her face.

"_No more secrets. I'm going to tell him now."_

All of a sudden, she felt something vibrating in her travelling backpack against her back. She took off the bag and reached inside to find that it was her Poketab. The screen was lit up and had the message "Incoming call" displayed.

"What? There's a call function on this? I wonder who's calling me. And how did they get this number?" Aly said to herself. She used her finger to slide the screen left and answer the call. All of a sudden, a new window popped up on the screen. It was a video call screen that showed a woman who had long, blonde hair tied up and blue eyes who looked very familiar to the female trainer.

"Mom?!" Aly gasped in shock.

"Hey Aly!" Aly's mom replied happily while waving.

"Um, hi! It's good to hear from you. But how did you get this number anyway?" Aly said. She then started to behind her mother at the room décor she was in, which was again familiar to her.

"Wait? Are you in-"

"That's right! I'm in the Emerald City Pokémon Centre!" Her mom exclaimed. "You told me you'd be here around this time when we last spoke, so I felt that I'd take a vacation here to see you!"

"Oh! I see…heh heh…what a surprise!"

"It sure is! It seems you're in the middle of the city now. Come here so we can be talk in person."

"Oh…ok. I'll have to tell Justin, but I'm sure he won't mind." Aly replied.

"Oh, Justin! I can't wait to meet him! Anyways, come by. We have some other matters to discuss as well." Aly's mom said, ending on a serious note.

Aly hesitated for a moment, but then replied her answer. "Yes mom, I'll be there soon."

After that, the video chat screen went dark and Aly closed her tablet. She let out a big sigh after what she had just discussed with her mother. She then looked up and Justin, who was happily eating at least one serving of all the food samples given. Aly giggled at her friend's childishness and walked over towards him.

"Hey Justin. We have to go back to the Pokémon Centre. Apparently my mom is there and she wants us to stop by."

"Really?! Mrs. Eatos is here in Emerald City?! That's awesome! Sure, let's go!" Justin replied excitedly while gulping the last food sample.

"Clean up your face first. You have food all over it." Aly replied while giving him a handkerchief from her bag.

"Thanks Aly." Justin said as he wiped the stains on his face. "If there's one thing you're good at, it's looking out for everyone."

"Well, you'd be lost if I wasn't here!"

* * *

Justin and Aly continued to make their way through Emerald City back to the Pokémon Centre, where Aly's mom awaited. They soon came across a less lively part of the city that had many alleyway openings in between buildings. Most of the buildings here were apartment complexes that people lived in, rather than the city attractions like shops or restaurants. Dark clouds began to roll in and blanket the entire sky, hiding the warm sun and the light that shone from it.

"We better pick up the pace a little. Looks like a storm is coming in." Justin stated.

"I guess it's a good thing we're heading back now." Aly remarked.

"True that. Rain is not part of fun for me-"All of a sudden, Justin stopped walking and stared at some dark, moving silhouettes down an alleyway. There were about five of them and seemed to be in the shape of people. A small one was backed up against a wall while four bigger ones surrounded it. Aly, who was a little ahead of Justin, stopped walking and turned around to face him.

"Justin?" She called out to her friend.

"I think there's someone in trouble down there." Justin said suspiciously. All of a sudden, the surrounded silhouette pushed one of the bodies onto the ground and ran farther into the alley. The four other silhouettes began to chase in pursuit. Without hesitation, Justin dashed into the alley.

"Justin! What are you doing?!" Aly shouted.

"Follow me Aly! I think someone needs our help!' Justin shouted while running.

Aly was very confused, but noticed her friend was disappearing into the alley. She began to run in that direction and follow her friend.

The back alleys of Emerald City were like any other alleys in a city. They were deserted, had big trash bins for garbage, and had ladders for climbing to upper levels of buildings. It was a little darker than usual because of the dark clouds shunning the sunlight, but the path was still visible. Justin ran down alley after alley as if he was running through a maze trying to find the exit. There were so many turns and paths that never seemed to end.

"Where did they go? I gotta pick up the pace. They could be in danger." He said to himself before running a faster than before.

His friend Aly was far behind him and barely able to keep up with his speed. She could only see a small, dark silhouette of him running that shrunk with every passing second.

"Justin! Wait up!" Aly called out to her friend. Justin didn't seem to hear her since there was no response back. Soon enough, he disappeared from her sight. Aly then slowed down before coming to a halt in order to catch her breath.

"This isn't good. I lost Justin…and now I'm probably lost myself…" Aly panted as she dropped to one knee. Sweat dropped down her forehead and the side of her face. She looked up and around the alley, but found no clue as to where she was.

All of a sudden, four figures walked out from a path on Aly's far right. They were 4 guys who looked rough, scary, and a little older than Aly. They were all wearing black leather jackets with blue jeans and had red bandanas tied around their left arm, presumably part of a gang.

"Geez. Where did that punk go?" One of the guys snapped out. He then looked upwards and found a girl in the middle of the alley. All the four guys looked at each other and grinned smugly.

"Hey there doll. What are you doing out here all alone?" The one guy asked while he and his thugs walked closer. Aly's heartbeat began to race as she knew these guys were bad news. Justin said something about how someone was in trouble. She came to the conclusion that these were the troublemakers. Fear started to slowly set in as Aly got up to her feet and backed away from them slowly.

"I'm…I'm looking for a way out…" She replied while trying to act confident.

"You lost? We'll show you the way. After that, you can hang out with us for a while." Another guy smirked. It wasn't long before the four guys were all in front of Aly, blocking her path forward to escape.

"I'm fine…thank you. Just let me be." Aly stated. Thanks to the small break of running, her strength slowly returned to her.

"Stop being so stingy and let us help you. I promise we won't bite. How about once we're out of here, we'll show you a good time." The first thug grunted as he reached his hand out towards Aly's arm.

Instinctively, Aly raised her arm and slapped away the thug's hand with force. She then regained her senses and realized that it was a bad move on her part.

"Oh, so you play rough eh? I can get used to that." The thug said while smiling smugly. The rest of the gang started laughing and drew in even closer. Aly took a few steps backwards, and then turned around to run.

"Let's get her!" The first thug shouted, which garnered a hurrah from his boys.

The chase was on; Aly against four street thugs, where the former just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Aly went down any open path that she saw without trying to remember the way she originally came from. She was running on adrenaline and experiencing too much panic in her mind to think logically. The only thing Aly thought about was to run as fast as she could. Aly ran at a pace she never ran before throughout her journey and her life, knowing that trouble awaited her if the thugs caught up.

"_Why? Why is this happening to me?_" Aly thought to herself while running.

She turned the corner down the path on the left, but reached a dead end blocked by a high fence. Aly quickly turned around to find a new path, but then saw the four thugs at the entrance of the alley staring her down. They started to walk slowly towards her with scary expressions on their faces. Aly became even more terrified now she was cornered and had nowhere to run or hide.

"Now, just stop running away and let us take care of you." The first thug stated.

Aly backed up all the way to the fence and trembled in fear. She then felt something press up against her waist, which happened to be her Pokeballs. Aly realized this and quickly grabbed both from her belt to release her Pokémon.

"Vul-pix!" Vulpix cried out.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried out.

Each Pokémon got into a fighting stance in order to protect their trainer. The four thugs were startled that Aly brought out her Pokémon, but quickly regained their focus.

"Bringing out Pokémon eh? Well, let's see you match up to ours." The second thug stated. All four of them took out a Pokeball and threw it in the air. Out came four poison type Pokémon that included Muk, Seviper, Croagunk and Nidorino. Each had an intimidating look that made Aly, Squirtle, and even Vulpix a little nervous. With her safety on the line, Aly had no choice but to battle these creeps.

"_To get out of this, I must fight. Please let me get through this…" _

With that, she commenced her first attack.

"Vulpix, use your flamethrower!"

Vulpix released a powerful flamethrower attack that hit Muk and Nidorino, moving them backwards along the ground. Croagunk and Seviper saw this and charged ahead with attacks of their own.

"Squirtle! Water gun!" Aly called out. Squirtle shot out a stream of water that knocked Croagunk out of the way, but not Seviper. The serpent Pokémon continued its way towards Squirtle, who was defenseless and about to be attacked.

"Vulpix, help out Squirtle!"

Vulpix quickly jumped in front of Squirtle and released a flamethrower attack that knocked Seviper out of the way and saved Squirtle.

Before Squirtle had a chance to thank Vulpix, it got hit by a sludge bomb attack that came from Muk on its right. Vulpix looked over towards its comrade, but then was struck by a horn attack from Nidorino and sent towards Squirtle.

"Are you guys all right?!" Aly cried out worriedly. Both Vulpix and Squirtle both got up and nodded, despite sustaining damage from the last attacks.

"Vulpix, Iron Tail attack! Squirtle, rapid spin!" She commanded out.

Squirtle and Vulpix proceeded with their attacks in what turned out to be a pretty intense battle between Aly and the four thugs. Even though Vulpix and Squirtle were stronger than the four poison types, the numbers weren't in their favour. When it seemed like they took out one Pokémon, another would be right there to continue the battle. Aly had to constantly watch out for sneak attacks while trying to figure out moves herself. It was Aly's first Pokémon battle in a while, and the current circumstances made it even more strenuous on her mind and body.

"_Strange, I haven't hit the wall yet after everything I've been through. Have I caught a break? Is it finally gone?" _Aly thought to herself.

Unfortunately, her question was soon answered. Aly suddenly felt that her body started to lose a lot of energy very quickly. Her breathing became a lot heavier, while it was harder for her to move her limbs or even stand. She felt feverish as her body temperature rose rapidly and soon enough dropped to her knees, holding herself together. This latest setback was far worse than any other she had experienced thus far.

The battle had tipped in the thugs' favour as both Vulpix and Squirtle were hit with unexpected attacks that sent backwards right into Aly, knocking her against the back fence.

"Pin the Pokémon down!" The first thug shouted out. Muk and Croagunk held Vulpix down on the ground, while Nidorino and Seviper pinned Squirtle. Aly looked up to see her Pokémon in a bind before she was suddenly pulled up by her hair by one of the thugs and shoved against the back fence.

"Leave…me…alone…" Aly said weakly, powering out that remark. The thug only smiled and began to caress the side of her face.

Aly's fear was at an all-time high. She was trembling with tears starting to stream down her face. However, in the current state she was in, there was no way she could try and fight back. There was no feeling in her legs and limbs. The only thing keeping her standing was the thug's grip on her hair, which was extremely painful. The thugs could only help but laugh at Aly's demise. Vulpix and Squirtle cried out and tried to break fee, but were overpowered by the poison Pokémon.

"Well, it's time to have some fun!" The thugs shouted out as they prepared their advances.

Aly closed her eyes and prepared for the worst.

"_No…please no…JUSTIN!"_

"…Psychic." A voice from out of nowhere stated bluntly.

All of a sudden, the thug that had Aly became surrounded in a blue outline and was sent flying into the wall. Aly fell to the ground onto her stomach, panting heavily to try and calm down.

"Dragon Pulse." The voice stated again. Everyone began to look around and see where the voice and attacks were coming from. It was then that blue orbs of light energy appeared and hit all of the thugs' Pokémon holding down Vulpix and Squirtle. The attack was so powerful that it knocked out all of the poison types. The three remaining thugs looked behind them to see a boy standing at the alleyway's entrance with 5 Pokémon in front of him. They all appeared as shadows to the thugs because of how far they were away from the fight.

"You picked the wrong people to fight, punk!" One of the back-up thugs called out as they all started to charge at that person.

"Water Gun and thundershock." The boy commanded in a serious tone. Two of his smaller Pokémon released a water type and electric type attack that combined together to create a giant stream of water surrounded by waves of electricity. It hit the three thugs by pushing them backwards onto the ground while electrocuting them at the same time, resulting in them passing out.

Aly lifted her head up to see what was going on. She recognized the appearance of the boy and his Pokémon who were dealing with the thugs.

"It's…Justin…" She said weakly.

Justin looked down at her and winked. He exuded a confidence that she had never seen before. The exuberant and dramatic boy turned into a confident and heroic man just like that.

"_He's always there…when I need him._" She thought to herself.

Suddenly, the first thug got up to his feet and stared at Justin.

"You're going to regret this!" He shouted out angrily as he charged at Justin to throw a punch.

Justin didn't move his body at the incoming attack, but rather moved his mouth to say another command.

"Sky uppercut." He stated bluntly. His final Pokémon, who had yet to battle, dashed forward in front of Justin with great agility and threw out a nasty uppercut right under the thug's chin, causing him to be sent into the air and land hard on the ground knocked out.

"This is what you get for messing with my friend. How dare you put her through that?!" Justin yelled angrily at the thug's motionless body.

Aly looked on at her friend. Justin's eyes had rage and anger in them as if he was going to do something else to the thug. His fists were clenched and was breathing pretty heavily.

"I_s this the way he's like when his friends are in need? It's almost like he's a different person." _She thought.

Justin then kneeled down, grabbed the thug by his shirt and raised his fist up to prepare for a punch.

"Time for me to teach you a lesson." Justin muttered.

"JUSTIN, DON"T!" Aly cried out loudly.

Justin fist stopped in its tracks. He looked over at Aly, who was reaching out her hand as a gesture to stop him.

"…Aly…" He said softly. Justin's eyes seemed to return to normal at the sight of his friend.  
He looked down to see what he was doing and quickly dropped the thug back onto the ground. Aly gave a weak smile before her head dropped to the ground and passed out.

Just then, a younger boy appeared from the alley's entrance and ran up to Justin.

"Call for help." A much calmer Justin stated. The young boy nodded and ran out of the alleyway. Justin then proceeded to go to Vulpix and Squirtle and see if they were all right. Once confirming the status of Aly's Pokémon, everyone made their way to Aly and stayed by her side to wait for help.

"You're going to be all right. Hang in there Aly." Justin muttered.


	34. Chapter 34 - Aly Eatos Part 2

_**AN: Well that took a little longer than expected. Sorry for delaying my early release. School and life and hockey and gaming distracted me (intentional and's). Anywho, here is part 2. or chapter 34. Hope everyone enjoys it!**_

**Chapter 34 – Aly Eatos Part 2**

Aly slowly began to wake up. Her eyes opened, but squinted hard because of the bright illumination in the room. After a few moments, her first sight were the lights on the ceiling of the room she was in. Aly was lying on a bed covered in white sheets, wearing a white gown that went down to her knees and had a respirator mask over her face. Around her bed were various types of technological equipment and gadgets, one of which that beeped and had waves flowing across the computer screen. No doubt she was in a hospital. Aly looked over to her right and saw a familiar woman looking down upon her with a heavily worried expression.

"…Mom?" Aly said softly. The woman smiled and nodded her head at Aly's question.

"I'm so glad you're ok, Aly." Aly's mom said happily. Aly rubbed her eyes and took off the respirator mask over her face. She felt light headed and still a little weak, but the comfort of the bed and pillow helped mitigate that.

"What…happened?" She asked dazed.

"You were rushed to the hospital after collapsing in an alleyway and treated by the doctors here. Thankfully you had no extreme physical wounds, but they gave you some painkillers just in case."

"I see…wait, where's Justin? And my Pokémon?"

"He's waiting outside in the lobby. He was the one who called an ambulance for you, as well as contact me about the situation. As for your Pokémon, they're at the Pokémon Centre being treated by Nurse Joy." Aly's mom explained.

"Oh, I see…" Aly said as she sat up from the bed. She was a little more alert and awake now. Aly's mom moved her arms in a supportive gesture to see if she needed help, but Aly shook her head at the request.

"I know you want to see him, but there's a few things I need to discuss with you first." Aly's mom said in a serious tone while sitting down on a chair.

* * *

Justin sat on one of the many seats in the hospital lobby, eating a bag of chips he bought from the vending machine. He was worried for Aly, feeling like it was his fault that things happened to her.

"It's my fault she's like this. I left her behind. Sure, I was able to help out that kid…but I still left her behind. If I hadn't…I…"

Just then, he noticed Aly's mom walk into the lobby area and towards the chair right across from him. Justin took the time to examine her as she walked closer towards him. She was not much taller than Aly, but resembled her quite remarkably and looked young enough to be mistaken for Aly's older sister. She had blonde hair, the exact same colour as Aly's, tied loosely to the side on her right shoulder and dressed very well in a black suit blazer and short skirt with heels. Even though her appearance projected her to be serious, she had a very light expression on her face.

"Oh, hello Mrs. Eatos. How's Aly doing?" Justin asked in concern.

"She's doing much better now. The doctors say Aly should be released tomorrow." Aly's mom replied happily as she sat down on the chair.

"That's awesome news!"

"It sure is! You can go see her, but I'd like to have a chat with you first."

"Oh…um, ok." Justin said curiously.

"First off, don't be so hard on yourself for what happened today. I can tell from your expression that you feel guilty about the incident. While I can't say you're not entirely clear, you had good intentions to save that boy and didn't know about Aly's condition." Aly's mom explained.

"Condition? What are you talking about?"

"Let me ask you a question first Justin. What do you think about my daughter? As a person and a travelling companion?"

"Well, from the day I met Aly at the start of our journey, we've become really close. She's a really sweet, fun and nice girl to be around. She's always looking out for everyone in our group when they're in need. Oh, and her cooking is to die for! She makes the best meals for everyone in our group! Speaking of which, I wonder what will be for dinner tonight?!" Justin explained as he became overly excited thinking of Aly's cooking. He then realized what he was doing and became embarrassed, where Aly's mom giggled at his giddiness.

"You're just like how Aly described you! Well, I'm glad to hear you think very highly of her! Now, have you noticed any habits of hers? Or unusual behaviour?" Aly's mom asked in a more suspicious tone.

"Well, there is one thing I've noticed about her. She has always been very conservative in everything she does. Aly doesn't seem to want to do anything that is strenuous or that would make her work hard physically. Whether it's just simple running through a regular route path, or today playing DDR arcade games. They're usually brushed off and avoided by her. This also includes Pokémon battling, which she hasn't done for a long time now. Although, I don't think Pokémon battles are that physically tough on the body. But then again, we've been in some sticky situations throughout our journey that has made them matter more. I try to think nothing is going on, but I feel there is something to this." Justin explained further.

"I see. Well, I'll tell you that your suspicions aren't that far off." Aly's mom said.

"They aren't?"

"Yes. Aly unfortunately has a mysterious health condition that makes her physically weaker than the average girl. This condition causes her strength and energy to rapidly deplete, usually when exerting herself physically and sometimes mentally. You said that she's very conservative, right? It's because she'd have an 'exhaustion' attack that would drain all her energy quickly if she did anything strenuous."

"What?! Really?!" Justin gasped.

"It's true. Back when Aly was a young child, she would often become ill after any sort of physical activity, which limited her from playing games with the neighbourhood kids. When she turned 10 years old, she was ready to become a Pokémon trainer in the Kanto region and had little to no illness setbacks in the few years before then. However, during her very first battle with a wild Pokémon, she collapsed and was hospitalized right after. Thankfully it happened close by our town for someone to find her, but it was very serious. You'd wouldn't believe it resulted from a simple Pokémon battle."

"That's awful…but really strange too. I mean, it only would have been her starter Squirtle and a weak Pokémon like Pidgey or Ratatta. Hardly the right Pokémon for an exhilarating and fast-paced battle."

"The doctors guessed that Aly's body got overly excited during the battle and caused her heartrate to accelerate really fast. However, from what Aly remembered, it wasn't even an intense battle and only lasted a few attacks before she unexpectedly collapsed. It's really unexplainable, but we know now that Pokémon battles are another catalyst for the illness. After that incident, the doctors recommended that Aly stay in the hospital for treatment and delay her journey. She then underwent rehab treatment for five whole years to work and test her strength and energy with physical activities and mock Pokémon battles. Unfortunately, she would suffer frequent exhaustion attacks every time the intensity ramped up. The doctors believed it to be anemia, but attacks were way too sporadic for it to be certain. They were very unpredictable with their occurrence and severity, creating even more uncertainty amongst everyone. Sometimes there would be no problem at all, and sometimes it would come back and feel like the end of the world. There was a point in time where the doctors recommended that she shouldn't go on a journey at all, as it would present major health and safety risks." Aly's mom explained.

"Wow, that's pretty serious. But, she's out here now though." Justin remarked, a little confused.

"Well, during the last year and a half of the rehab, the number of exhaustion attacks slowly started declining to a point where they stopped happening. Once she was medically cleared to leave the hospital, Aly begged me and the doctors to let her go on her Pokémon journey. Even though I knew it was a bad idea and saw a lot of uncertainty in her eyes, I felt really bad for her living much of her youth stuck in a hospital bed. I decided to let her go, but only if she would take the travelling very easy and slowly. That was the promise we made." Aly's mom stated, trying to contain her emotions within herself from telling Aly's backstory.

Justin then began to think about what he had just heard. All the pieces started to come together. Aly always behind and heavily panting when running and her unwillingness to participate in strenuous situations or Pokémon battles. All of her habits were protective measures in order to mitigate exhaustion attacks because of her condition.

"_I wonder why she didn't tell me. This is a pretty big deal._" He thought to himself.

"Well, now you know. For five whole years, she was stuck recovering in a hospital bed alone. I'm sure you can see why I decided she could travel. However, I've been informed that Aly has had a couple attacks from exerting herself throughout your journey, including today. It's very hard on me as a parent, constantly worrying how your daughter is doing when she's so far away from home and there's nothing you can do. That's why, I'm thinking of taking Aly back home with me." Aly's mom said.

Justin's eyes shot open in shock at the statement made by Aly's mom.

"Wait…you're what?"

"I'm thinking of having Aly come back home to Pallet Town in Kanto. I don't think it was the right decision to let her go out on a journey back then. Aly was never the type of person to go out adventuring into the world. She wasn't strong physically, nor mentally. It's even amazing that she was able to have gotten this far in her journey before a serious illness attack like this. I probably made the worst decision as a parent back then, but I'm ready to own up and take care my daughter properly." Aly's mom stated.

Justin looked down at his lap and sulked; the feeling of sorrow from Aly possibly not being with him anymore started to sink in. It was a feeling that Justin never felt before, and it really hurt. He grabbed his chest which felt swollen while his muscles began to tense up. He stared at the ground with his eyes widened, seemingly out of it. Justin began to reminisce about all the fun and exciting memories he shared with Aly during their journey. The chance of not being able to make even more memories with her shook him up.

"You can't do that!" Justin shouted as he stood from his seat. He then looked around the lobby and saw many nurses and patients looking at him strangely. He then sat back down to talk.

"Sorry for that. But, I really think Aly should continue on this journey with me."

"Justin, I know Aly is one of your best friends and you'd miss her, but there's too much of a safety risk now that the illness occurs frequently. I learned that Aly suffered other exhaustion attacks during your journey besides this one; specifically one on route 404 when you were sick from a Vileplume, and on Courage Mountain when you guys apparently got separated." Aly's mom reasoned.

"Those incidents happened because I was recklessness at the time. I'm to blame for putting Aly in a position to suffer a setback. If I was a bit more careful, they wouldn't have happened. But now that I'm aware about her condition, I'm ready to become more diligent and be the one to take care of Aly."

"Even if that's the case, what has Aly been doing this journey? She doesn't participate in gym battles, contests or anything like that. The only thing Aly has been doing is wasting time and putting her health at risk."

"I'm sorry Mrs. Eatos, but I heavily disagree with your statements!" Justin retorted with emotion as he stood up from his chair again. Aly's mom was taken by surprise from his words and the feelings behind it.

"That's a bit harsh coming from her mother. I'll have you know that I've been the one travelling with Aly, not you. I've seen your daughter grow as a person throughout this journey. She's gradually become more confident in herself than she was when we first met. Sure, Aly isn't pursuing the typical Pokémon trainer goals. But, she's experiencing growth in many other areas that are making her a stronger human being. I believe this journey has been the best thing that's happened to her. If you ask Aly, I'm sure she would say the same thing. Don't even try to say it's a waste of time, because it isn't. I can't imagine a world where she's not by my side. So please…don't take this away from my friend. Not for my sake, but for hers."

Justin knew that people were looking at him again, but he didn't care. Suddenly, he felt tears beginning to form under his eyes. He was really getting emotional from this, more than he's ever been before. Even under that emotion, Justin felt a sense of pride for what he said. He had to stand up for his friend.

Aly's mom had no words to respond for Justin. She began to think about everything he said about her own daughter.

"…I'll have to think about it more." Aly's mom said stunned. "You can go see Aly now. I'll be there shortly."

"Oh…um, ok." Justin said surprised as he began to walk towards the treatment hall.

"I'm sorry by the way. For…you know, raising my voice like that." He turned around and added. Aly's mom simply nodded and looked the other way.

* * *

Justin stood in front of the door of Aly's recovery room. He took a deep breath before turning the doorknob and walking into the room. There she was; the girl he saved sat on the side of the bed, looking at her Poketab. She looked up at Justin and gave him a weak smile.

"Hey you." She said softly.

"Hey." Justin replied as he walked over to sit beside Aly.

She put away her Poketab on the side shelf and sat up straight. They both looked at each other, but then quickly looked away in different direction. An awkwardness enveloped the room that made things quite uncomfortable. No one spoke, leading Justin to twiddling his thumbs and Aly to play with her hair.

"Um, I-"Justin and Aly both said suddenly before realizing they spoke at the same time.

"You first." Justin said.

"I just wanted to say thanks for saving me back there. That was a really scary experience to be a part of, but I'm glad you were able to come through for me. You were so poised and assertive back there, I hardly recognized you." Aly said.

"Was I? I don't really remember much about what happened back then, but know that I'll do anything to help my friends in need." Justin replied.

Aly became a little confused at Justin's words.

"_He doesn't remember much? That's a little concerning. Was that even the real Justin back then? I'll have to watch him more carefully next time I guess." _She said to herself.

"Did something weird happen?" Justin asked curiously.

"It's nothing…don't worry about it." Aly remarked, brushing off the subject.

"Ok…anyways, I'm glad to hear you're going to be all right." Justin added

"Yeah, I'll be let out tomorrow. It could have been a lot worse." Aly smiled.

"Also, your mom told me about your condition. And about your past, most notably your first incident and your road to recovery."

"She did, eh?"

"How come you never mentioned this to me Aly? This is a pretty deal we're talking about. So many things would have been handled differently had I known about this." Justin explained.

"Well, it looks like I've got some explaining to do, don't I?" Aly replied.

"Yeah you do. Let's hear it." Justin said seriously. Aly noticed that he wasn't pulling any punches, but didn't blame him.

"Ok then. Well, I'm sure my mom told you that I've been pretty much by myself for almost my life due to this condition. Back during my early childhood, I didn't have many friends because I hardly played with any of the kids my age. I would often get sick if I did play with them, so my parents got worried and had me stay in a lot. The only thing I could do was sit in front of a window and watch, feeling envious of everyone else playing. And then, there was the whole five years at the hospital, where for three of them, all I did is rest in a bed and suffer setbacks after any attempts to comeback. It was tough, frustrating, and lonely. I've lived a very lonely and sheltered life, all because of this stupid condition." Aly explained as her voice gradually got more aggressive.

Justin moved his mouth to say something, but stopped to allow his friend to speak further.

"When I met you at that Route 401 Pokémon Centre, you were the first person around my age I interacted with in a long time. You were very nice and even friendly enough to allow me to join on your journey. I don't think you realize how happy that made me. Finally, my own friend after all those years of lonesomeness. It was probably one of the best moments of my life, meeting you that is." Aly added, ending on a nicer tone.

"Aly…" Justin muttered.

"I didn't want to lose you, and my health condition was something that dragged me away from making friends. So, I felt that hiding it would allow me to continue being your friend. I thought that if you knew, I would just become a burden and eventually get taken away, as I was back then."

"Aly, you know that I would accept you no matter what was going on with you. You're pretty much considered my best friend to me ATM. Your condition doesn't change the fact that you're you; the sweet and caring girl who always looks out for her friends and makes killer meals! There's no way I'd ever leave you." Justin remarked.

Aly strung a big smile, but also started to tear up.

"Oh no, tears! I didn't say anything wrong, did I?" Justin said worriedly.

"No, that's hardly the case. Truth is, I had a feeling you would say something like that. It's so you. But, to actually hear it come out of your mouth really means a lot to me. Thank you, Justin. You truly are a good person." Aly said as she wiped her eyes with her hand.

"You betcha I am! But thanks for that." Justin smiled.

"I really did plan on telling you today. It was hard to keep such a big secret from you, but you know girls and how they doubt themselves in situations a lot. It sure feels great to have gotten that off my chest. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

"Of course. I guess I should apologize for all those times I put you into those vulnerable positions during our travels. But, I promise to now be considerate and aware of your condition with everything we do during this journey!"

Aly smiled weakly. "That is if I continue this journey."

Justin's positivity instantly drained as he was reminded of what Aly's mom told him during their talk. He looked down and sulked; the feeling of sorrow began to come back again.

"Are you…really going to go home?" He asked nervously.

"Well, I sure hope I don't." Aly stated clearly, which caught Justin by surprise.

"I'm having the time of my life on this journey. Meeting you and all of our Pokémon, travelling through different cities together, experiencing many different things and creating fun memories has been an absolute joy! I don't regret coming on this adventure one bit. Also, I feel that I've changed. That I have become a stronger person from the time I left home. I've learned so many things while on this journey such as Pokémon care and dedication, cooking and even creating healing antidotes. Sure, there are still things that I'm not perfect with such as self-confidence or optimism. But, I'd say that I've made some improvement in those areas throughout our journey. Having you there beside me Justin, I feel that I can continue to grow."

Justin looked on at amazement. Finally, Aly is giving herself some credit rather than putting herself down like usual.

"You really have grown up." Justin smiled slyly while petting his friend on the head.

"Hey! Knock that off! I'm not a child!" Aly remarked with an annoyed face and her cheeks puffed, knocking his hand away from her.

"Everything you said was correct. I've noticed the exact same things about you on our journey, and said the same thing to your mother when she told me her decision. You're a changed person now from what you were back when we first met and have done many good deeds. Saving Raikou from those hunters (Chapter 13), helping me when I was sick from a Vileplume (Chapter 21), winning that baking contest in Granite Town (Chapter 23), and recently helping those Grass Pokémon backing the Emerald Forest (Chapter 31). All of those moments helped you along the way to what you are now. They've certainly made for some interesting stories during our journey as well." Justin explained with a more sincere smile.

"Justin…" Aly said softly. She then noticed her friend get really close to her while holding her hands with his, causing her to blush heavily.

"I can honestly say that I've had so much fun travelling with you too Aly. The support you give me every day to win battles and achieve my goal makes travelling with you that much better. Just like you said about me giving you strength, you're helping me as well. That's what best friends do for each other. And, that's why you have to convince your mom to let you stay on this journey. I couldn't imagine what it would be like with you not there with me." Justin stated clearly.

Aly felt a rush of emotions flow through her entire body. Out of all the things that were said during this conversation, those last few words by Justin really got to her. More tears began to flood down her eyes, but they were tears of joy. She instantly put her arms around Justin and pulled in him for a big hug.

"Uh…Aly?" Justin remarked while blushing.

"Thank you, Justin. For everything…" Aly replied. Her words a little muffled due to her face being buried in Justin's shirt, but he got the message. Aly later lifted her face upwards to look at Justin's.

"Oh yeah, I think I have an idea of what goal I want to pursue." She said.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I think I want to be someone that helps Pokémon in need. I've learned to help take care and look after Pokémon throughout our journey, whether it be medically, psychologically, or everyday care and nutrition. I want to help them become healthy Pokémon at any time when they are in need. Maybe a Pokémon breeder or a Pokémon doctor? Or maybe I'll run my own Pokémon daycare centre or breeder ranch, just like what that couple Clarabelle and Paul did back on Route 405 (Chapter 25). Whatever the case is, the reason why I'm choosing this path is because of what I'm going through with my condition. I don't want Pokémon to be unhealthy or suffer from illnesses the way I did back then. If I can help Pokémon in need, they will have more opportunities to experience many different things with their trainers. For this though, I'm going to have to be very astute and willing to learn new things about Pokémon care, nutrition and health. But I feel that with you and all of our Pokémon with me, I can potentially do it!" Aly explained.

Justin looked at her after her big explanation and smiled once again.

"I think that's a great goal Aly, and know that I'll support you all the way." He said.

"You better!" Aly replied playfully, which got a laugh from both trainers.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Justin and Aly looked over to find one of the hospital nurses.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but it's time for your check-up Aly." The nurse said. Justin and Aly both looked a little disappointed that their chat time was up. Justin then took in how close he was to Aly and became very nervous.

"Right. I'll be on my way then." Justin said embarrassed. He quickly backed away from Aly and started to walk towards the door. The nurse then proceeded over towards Aly's bed and examined the graphs on the computer monitor. Aly looked down at her hands, which were touched by Justin's, and smiled.

"_That boy…" _She thought to herself.

Justin walked out of Aly's recovery room and breathed a sigh of relief.

"_Well…that was…unexpected."_ He thought to himself. It was then that he noticed the presence of someone leaning against the wall right beside the entrance to Aly's room. It was her mother.

"Oh, Mrs. Eatos. How long have you been there?" Justin gasped.

"Justin Riser. I have a request for you." Aly's mom stated.

"Uh, sure."

"I want you to promise me that you'll continue to look out for my daughter. Make sure she takes it easy and doesn't exert herself too much. But most of all, continue to grow and work hard to achieve her goal."

Justin looked at Aly's mom in disbelief. It would seem that she heard the entire conversation that he and Aly just had. But, most importantly, it appeared that she changed her mind about Aly having to go home.

"Does this mean…" Justin was interrupted as Aly's mom walked towards him and placed her hand on Justin shoulder.

"I'm counting on you, Justin. I'm leaving my daughter in your hands." Aly's mom stated clearly

Justin looked closely at Aly's mom. Her deep blue eyes sparkled, showing that she was dead serious about her decision and request.

"You can count on me Mrs. Eatos. I will take care of her. I promise." He stated seriously. Aly's mom smiled at him before beginning to walk into the Aly's recovery room.

"Oh, one more thing." Aly's mom added. Justin turned his attention back towards her.

"It's Aly's birthday in about 2 weeks. Make sure you get her something special." She remarked before proceeding into the room. Justin then reached into his backpack and pulled something out of the small pocket. It was the small, gold chain with a charm at the end of it that was stolen from him by the Grass Pokémon.

"I guess this is where this comes in." He said to himself.

* * *

"It seems your final checkup are all good Aly. Tomorrow, you should be released and able to continue your journey." The nurse explained.

"Thank you very much ma'am." Aly said gratefully. The nurse nodded before exiting the room. Aly sat up and looked on at her mom, who was on the chair beside Aly's bed.

"I'm sure you're excited to leave this place tomorrow." Aly's mom said.

"I totally am. Thank you for understanding mom. I swear I won't let you down!" Aly exclaimed.

"Well, just be careful with everything. We don't want another incident like this."

"I know mom. Don't worry, I'll be fine so long as I have my Pokémon and Justin."

"Your friend sure is an interesting, but likable person. I'm sure you'll be in good hands with that boy."

"He's one of a kind. I think I will be too."

"Can I ask you something Aly? How do you really feel about Justin?" Aly's mom asked curiously. Aly looked down at her lap to think, but ended up smiling brightly.

"He's one of the most important people in my life now. I wouldn't be the person I am now if it wasn't for him. After our conversation though, I've been starting to feel something else." Aly explained.

"Are you now?"

"Yeah. Now when I think about him, I become giddy inside and my heart starts to pound really fast. I've been thinking about how much more fun memories we're going to create together. Just knowing I'll be with him makes me really happy. Mom, this feeling I have now. Could this….be…."

….

….

….

_**Love?**_

_**AN: CONFIRMED! (Hockey insider joke). **__**I know, it's a little cheesy ending, but I felt it was a good time to place it there. Also, I hope that backstory and Aly's condition sort made sense without it being a total, Deus Ex Machina, cop-out ploy. I tried my best to make it somewhat reasonable (it is fiction and fantasy, so it can still be a mysterious condition). Feedback is appreciated (Talarc, that's your cue! Grill me by pointing out my mistakes!)**_

_**Moving on to some Team Immortal stuff next. Until then!**_


	35. Chapter 35 - Mission

_**AN: Hello all. I'm back with a new chapter. Even though it's only been 3 weeks, it still feels like forever since I last updated. Here is a quick update about the story:**_

_**I want to say that we are past the halfway point of the whole story. During the last 3 weeks, I've done some extensive planning about upcoming chapters and key plot points to come (for once...not really lol). There is now a set plan in place for gym battles, fillers, Team immortal issues and character developments for various people. Also, I'd like to mention that the story's atmosphere and tone will now be a little more serious. It won't be a super drastic change, but issues will begin to surface that will test the character's and Pokemon's "character" (if that makes sense). Anyways, this is the start of that.**_

**Chapter 35 - Mission**

"Caius! Hurry up! We've been summoned to the meeting hall by Master Zeus!' Raiza shouted towards a door, his voice echoing throughout the narrow hallway.

"I'm coming, I'm coming…" Caius replied irritably.

Raiza sighed and leaned against the back wall with his arms crossed while waiting for his comrade. A few minutes later, the door opened and Caius walked out into the hallway.

"Took you long enough." Raiza said.

"That was hardly 5 minutes!" Caius whined while closing the door behind him.

"Whatever. C'mon, the meeting has already started."

* * *

Caius and Raiza walked down a large hallway before pushing through giant red doors into the main meeting hall in Team Immortal's base. It seemed as though all of the other grunts were present for this meeting, considering how it started 10 minutes before Caius and Raiza entered. They got some shady looks from grunts near the entrance, but were quickly disregarded as Zeus spoke from the second level on the other side of the hall. He was in full uniform with brown robes and the yellow mask on his face, and had Hades standing by his right side.

"All of you did a fantastic job on the last mission in Citrine City. Thanks to all of your hard work, we were able to acquire the Citrine jewel and move another step closer to achieving our goal!" Zeus announced in a powerful and moving voice.

Roars of cheers erupted from the crowd upon hearing their leader's words of appreciation.

"Bear in mind, some of our fellow comrades did not make it back to base. They were captured by the police department, and unfortunately will most likely never return. It is in our best interests to keep them in our thoughts. Remember them with honour, as their noble sacrifices aided us in our mission to acquire the jewel."

A respectable applause was given out from the crowd, with even a few members saluting to respect the fallen.

"Why are we even here? We weren't part of the Citrine Jewel heist to begin with!" Caius remarked crudely.

"We're here because Master Zeus called on every grunt to be present for this meeting. That includes us." Raiza answered.

"Meh, seems like a waste of time if you ask me."

Raiza ignored Caius' comments and moved his attention back to Zeus.

"Now, with two of the jewels in our hands, we will undergo further preparations for our next move. Until then, stay at base and await your next orders. Once again, thank you friends for all of your hard work. Soon, our ultimate objective will be achieved!" Zeus announced with conviction. The grunts cheered once again and began celebrating with each other. Zeus and Hades then left through the back doors.

"Well, I know we weren't part of the Citrine mission. But, that doesn't mean we can't celebrate with the rest of the guys here!" Caius exclaimed.

"You go ahead, party animal. I have some business to tend to first." Raiza said.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU-…oh, I hear ya. Come back when you're done, I guess." Caius raged before understanding the situation.

"Will do."

With that, Raiza walked away and through the red entrance doors, leaving Caius to celebrate with the other grunts.

* * *

Raiza was in his room, searching for something in a large bag on his bed. He pulled out various things such as old food rations, extra outer layer clothing and Team immortal gizmos, but still couldn't find what he was looking for.

"God dammit. Where is it?" He mumbled frustrated. A few seconds later, he pulled out the missing item: his cellphone. Raiza began to dial a certain number pattern on the screen and placed it on his ear. The ringer rang about three times before the line picked up.

"Hello?" A soft voice answered the call.

"…It's me (lolol Adele)." Raiza said, uncharacteristically soft and gentle.

"Raiza? Oh thank goodness it's you. I was very worried, as it's been a while since our last call." The voice responded relieved.

"I'm sorry dear. It's been pretty hectic at the office here in Minero. But, I'm doing well. I got Caius with me, so I don't get that lonely. However, I wish I was back with you."

"I miss you too Raiza. But, unfortunately I'm back here in the hospital still."

"How was the latest treatment?" Raiza asked curiously.

"It wasn't bad, but nothing really changed. The nerves in my muscles are still pretty weak and I'm having a hard time remembering about the incident." The voice elaborated.

"I see…well, I'm almost-"

There was a knock on the door that interrupted Raiza's next statement. He looked over at the door and called out to them, notifying he was in the room.

"Raiza. Master Zeus and Hades wish to speak with you and Caius immediately." The voice beyond the door announced.

Hades grunted in frustration, but calmed his emotions and answered back.

"Be right there. Thanks for informing me." With that, he heard footsteps walk away from his door. Raiza then put the phone back against his ear.

"I'm sorry hun, but I gotta get back to work." Raiza said apologetically.

"Oh…I understand. Well, don't push yourself too hard, ok?" The voice responded with a hint of disappointment.

"I'll remember that. I'll call back as soon as I get the chance. Goodbye for now."

"Goodbye…I love you."

Raiza pressed the end button and ended the call. He let out a deep sigh to collect himself from the emotional phone call he just had.

"_Just you wait…all of this will pay off for you in the end."_ He thought to himself. With that, he put his cellphone back on the charger dock station and exited the room.

* * *

Raiza found Caius still partying with all the grunts in the meeting hall and informed him about the scheduled meeting they had with Zeus and Hades. Caius immediately dropped what he was doing and followed Raiza to the head office. After a few flight of stairs, they eventually reached the door to Zeus' office. Raiza knocked and awaited instructions.

"Come in." A calm voice said.

Raiza opened the door and entered in with Caius. In the office was Zeus, sitting on his big office chair near his desk, and Hades, who was standing right beside Zeus as his right hand man.

"Caius and Raiza. Thank you for taking the time to see me." Zeus said.

"Please, it's no trouble at all." Raiza responded in a formal manner.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Zeus, did you drag us here to give us our new assignment or what?" Caius asked in a rebellious tone.

"Caius, you realize you're speaking to our master right?"

"Relax man. The boss man and I are pals, no need to be so stiff."

"Your partner is right Raiza. I appreciate the consideration, but please, no need to be that formal about it." Zeus explained.

Raiza let out a sigh. "As you wish. I'm sorry."

"No need to be. Anyways, what Caius said is true. Hades, please brief them on their new mission."

"You got it Zeus." Hades replied as he walked up to Raiza and Caius. He was much taller than both of them and wore a mask with an angry glare, which instilled a bit of fear into the two grunts.

"All right ladies, listen up. Your next assignment will take place on Wisdom Mountain, where we have a workplace station set up there. You both tested our E-Transfer watches on Pokémon back on Courage Mountain. This time, you are to use our E-Transfer Ray Dish Station on another target… a human being to be exact. We are simulating what the ECM would do back when it was up and running. However, with knowledge of the dark past surrounding the ECM, this dish will transfer energy into the body at a slow and steady rate. The subject will feel little to no change within themselves during or after the experiment. Once transfer is complete, you will monitor their strength and energy levels, record them, and let them free with some sort of compensation." Hades explained in thorough detail.

"Woah, that's intense! But also pretty interesting too! I'm in for it! Finally, I'll have control over something in my life." Caius exclaimed.

Raiza was at a loss for words. His expression symbolized shock and disbelief as he began trembling while looking down at the floor.

"_What….why?"_ He thought to himself, sick at the thought of performing his mission.

"Is there a problem, Raiza?" Hades remarked.

"Do we…really have to perform this kind of experiment?"

"Are you not a member of Team Immortal? If not, then no, you can just walk out the door and leave. But, if you are a member and believe in our objective, you will carry out your mission." Hades explained in a serious tone.

"I am…but…" Raiza failed to come up with the words to reason.

"Raiza man, just chill. He said that the subject will feel practically nothing during or after the experiment. There's nothing to worry about bud." Caius explained.

"He's right Raiza. I can assure you it won't be like what happened back then." Zeus said in a calming tone. Raiza looked up at his leader. Despite wearing a creepy mask, his words helped Raiza calm down a little.

"…Right. I understand." Raiza said collectedly.

"Of course, Zeus and I will be there to monitor your experiment. So make sure you work hard to impress your superiors." Hades mentioned.

"Sir!' Caius and Raiza stated while saluting him.

"Your mission will take place in about a week. Until then, take it easy and rest up. If I remember correctly, your last mission on a mountain was a quite a rough one." Zeus mentioned.

"Ugh…working together with that brat. I don't ever want that to happen again." Caius barked.

"I assure you that this time, it'll go smoothly sir." Raiza stated.

"I hope it does as well. All right, my friends, you are dismissed." Zeus said while raising his hand towards the door. Caius and Raiza nodded before exiting the room and closing the door.

"You are way too generous and kind to them, sir." Hades pointed out.

"I treat everyone the same, Hades." Zeus remarked.

"As a leader, you need to be more assertive and sometimes ruthless to get something done."

"I believe being a good leader depends on how well you treat and lead your subordinates. Who would want to work for a leader that treats them like trash or disposable tools? We are all working together for the same goal, so it's important for all of us to have good unity."

"Whatever you say sir. If I were you, I would have instilled more fear into those two so they wouldn't screw up this time." Hades said in a snarky manner.

"By the way. I have to say this about our Citrine mission. Did we really have to use those wall barricades around the Citrine City Square and trap all those innocent people? I also didn't really like what I had to say as well. We will not let anyone get in our way…it sounded really malicious." Zeus explained.

"The public turned against you after those kids brought up the Ruby City incident. We had to resort to that sir." Hades responded.

"While we're on that subject, those kids did mention that something bad happened to the people in Ruby City during our excavation of the Ruby jewel. You told me there was no trouble at all. Is there something I'm missing Hades?"

"All right, so I had to use some cruel methods. But, if it wasn't for those, we wouldn't have gotten the Ruby jewel. As I said, you have to be ruthless to get your way sometimes."

"…I told you to not put people in danger." Zeus said as anger started to appear in his voice.

"Zeus, I did what had to be done in order to achieve our objective. You should be thanking me." Hades responded sternly.

Zeus couldn't say anything back, and ultimately gave in to Hades' rebuttal.

"Just try to keep those methods to a minimum. And provide me with all the information regarding missions from now on as well." Zeus ordered.

"As you wish sir. I am sorry for keeping you in the dark." Hades said while bowing forward.

"It's all right. You may go now."

"Sir."

With that, Hades walked away and through the door. Zeus sat back on his office chair and let out a deep sigh.

* * *

Hades walked down the stairs of the hideout and began thinking about his recent conversation with Zeus.

"_That man is a fool if he thinks we can accomplish this goal with his way of leadership. It might be time to change something within this organization."_


	36. Chapter 36 - True Natures Revealed

_**AN: Hello! That was sure fast, wasn't it? Only 4 days later and another new chapter is here! To be honest, I had such a blast writing this chapter that I did this over studying for exams #badstudent #yolo. Seriously, it was like writing an anime romantic comedy! Hope people like the change in dialogue.**_

_**Credit goes to "pokemonking0924" for the general premise of this chapter! Hope you enjoy it, good sir.**_

_**To Guest Martyn: Interesting. I think I will use that concept for a later filler chapter! Thanks for the idea!**_

_**To all: This will be the final chapter posted for the year 2015. I will now shift my focus towards studying for final exams (last ever in university!), and later celebrating Christmas &amp; New Years with friends and family. I will resume writing and posting in 2016.**_

**Chapter 36 – True Natures Revealed**

"Aly, how do you feel right now?" Justin asked curiously as he and his friend walked along the dirt path of Route 406.

"For the last time Justin, I'm fine. You don't need to check up on me every 20 minutes." Aly responded.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just that after learning about your condition, and making that promise to your mother, I feel that I have an even greater responsibility to take care of you."

"I appreciate your concern…really, I do. As long as we monitor our pace and don't do anything too crazy, I should be fine."

"All right. I understand. Just know that I'll be there to take care of you whenever you're in need. That's a promise." Justin spoke confidently, turning to face his friend.

Aly's face turned red as she became flustered and looked downwards towards the Pokémon Egg incubator she carried in her arms. Justin saw this and became embarrassed himself, turning red while looking away into the sky. There was an awkward silence that developed between the two trainers, who both felt different kinds of emotions flow through their body.

"HEY! YOOHOO!" A voice called out.

Justin and Aly stopped walking and began looking around to locate the voice. Even though open grass fields surrounded the trainers, they still couldn't locate where the voice was coming from. They looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders in uncertainty. All of a sudden, Justin noticed that his vision quickly became dark as something covered his eyes. He felt soft and warm hands pressed up over his eyes.

"Guess who?!" The giddy voice said.

Justin instantly recognized that voice and strung a big smile. He pushed away the hands that covered his eyes and turned around to find a familiar face with long brown hair and wearing a red t shirt and beige short shorts across from him.

"Lyra! How's it going?!" Justin exclaimed happily.

"I'm great, thank you very much! I was just around the area looking for new Pokémon when I saw you guys walking along the path!" Lyra explained. She then saw Aly behind him and made a sneaky grin.

"Oh, and it's great to see you again too…Aly." Lyra smirked as she quickly grabbed Justin's arm and hugged it into her chest. This caught Justin by surprise and made him nervous. However, when he looked over at Aly, he became a little terrified at the sadistic smirk and dark aura his travelling companion gave off.

"It's nice to see you too…Lyra." Aly said with a smile, but in a diabolical tone.

Justin looked back and forth at his two female friends, fearing that something might break out between them. However, after a few seconds, Lyra let go of Justin and began giggling out loud.

"Man, I've missed that reaction from you!" Lyra exclaimed through her laughter. Aly's jealousy aura dissipated upon hearing that remark. She was then embraced tightly by Lyra, who was rubbing her cheek against Aly's.

"It's been too long! I've missed having another female hanging around with me!' Lyra whined. Aly giggled as she stroked the back of Lyra's head.

"There, there. Why don't we have lunch together?" Aly suggested.

"That sounds great! That's another thing I missed, your cooking! Let's get going!" Lyra remarked as she and Aly began walking towards the open field.

Justin just stood still on the dirt path while looking on at his two female friends.

"Girls…I just don't understand them at all."

* * *

Once again, it was another gorgeous day in the Minero Region. Seriously, there were hardly any days where the weather was utter crap. The sun shone down brightly, small clouds drifted through the sky, and the breeze was just right for those needs of cool air. Aly and Justin set out a large cloth onto an area of the grass field for them and Lyra to sit on. They also decided to let all of their Pokémon out of their balls to enjoy to nice day. Out came Espeon, Combusken, Mudkip, Gible, Mareep, Squirtle, Vulpix and Lyra's Umbreon, who all ventured off to do their own things.

"So Lyra, what have you been up to lately? If I remember, the last time we were together was back in Granite Town for the Pokémon Challenge (Chapters 23 and 24)?" Justin asked curiously.

"I've been pretty busy to be honest. Right after that challenge, I took a mega train all the way to Onyx City to meet up my parents, who were on vacation there. After that, I've kind of been all over the map earning gym badges, catching new Pokémon, and training against strong trainers along the way." Lyra explained.

"Onyx City is northeast of here, right? How come you're working your way back west? You'll end up back in Granite Town where you started." Aly remarked.

"When I said I was all over the place, I meant it. I started in Onyx City, then went southwest to Sapphire City, then took a train to Citrine City, made my way through the Emerald forest to Emerald City, and just ventured here on Route 406 today!"

"So, you must have a lot of badges and strong Pokémon no, right?" Justin said excitedly.

"I guess so. I have seven badges now. Have a look!" Lyra said as she pulled out her badge case from her bag. She opened it up and showed off seven badges that were pinned against the soft felt.

"That's awesome!" Justin exclaimed, fidgeting from excitement.

"My Pokémon and I have worked really hard to earn those badges. We only need the Diamond City badge and we'll be in the Minero League." Lyra said.

"Congratulations on your progress, Lyra. I know you'll win your last badge no problem." Aly said happily.

"Heh…Thanks Aly. I hope you're right."

"Your Umbreon look really healthy. I'm sure it's really strong too." Aly mentioned.

"Yeah. Like I said, we've been training really hard recently. It hasn't been the easiest of times as of late, but we're all managing to get through them." Lyra said, ending on a bit of a depressing note while she looked downwards with a faint smile. Justin noticed this and became a little confused.

"_What was that about?"_ Justin thought to himself. Before he could think about it, his ear drum nearly exploded from the high pitched screams that Aly and Lyra both shouted out.

"OWW! What is it?" Justin yelled while rubbing his ears. He looked over at the girls, who were fawning all over a small, pink Pokémon that was making its way over towards the group. It was round with pointed ears and large, blue eyes. It had a very cutesy face on as it stumbled on closer to the group, making Aly and Lyra squeal like little girls.

"It's so cute!" Aly exclaimed as she and Lyra both ran over to pick the Pokémon up and hug it.

"You're so adorable! What's a little guy like you doing all the way out here?" Lyra asked.

"Jiggly…" Jigglypuff moaned as it rubbed its stomach.

"You're hungry? Don't worry, you can join us for lunch!" Aly remarked without hesitation.

"Whoa! That was quick." Justin said.

"Just look at it Justin. It looks hungry and lost. We should take care of it. It would be the right thing to do!" Aly added in a whiney tone.

"All right, all right. Fine, it can join. As long as I still get my same portion of food." Justin stated.

"Hear that Jigglypuff? You can have lunch with us! It'll be a while before its ready, so why don't you go play with our Pokémon in the mean time?" Aly said happily to the normal/fairy type Pokémon.

Jigglypuff cried out happily and jumped back onto the floor to make its way over to the rest of the Pokémon. With that, the three trainers made their way back to resting spot to prepare lunch.

* * *

Vulpix laid down with its head resting on top of its paws, taking a nap in peace. Squirtle and Gible were around the area, playing their usual game of tag where the water Pokémon was "it".

"_(I'm going to get you if it's the last thing I do!)" _Squirtle shouted while chasing the Dragon Pokémon.

"_(Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk! Catch me if you can! I doubt you will!)" _Gible teased as it began to run even faster than before. Squirtle kept trying and trying, but could not catch up to Gible and eventually stopped running to take a break.

"_(How do you…have so much energy? And I thought…I was energetic.)"_ Squirtle huffed out while catching its breath.

"_(Please! This is nothing! I feel like I can run and play all day!)" _Gible exclaimed as it made its way over to Squirtle.

All of a sudden, both Pokémon noticed another's presence behind them. They both jumped onto their feet and turned around quickly to see who it was, which turned out to be a pink and round Pokémon.

"_(Who are you?") _Squirtle asked cautiously.

"_(Hi there! I'm Jigglypuff, and the girl with the blonde hair said I could join you all for lunch. They told me to hang out with you guys until it was ready.)" _Jigglypuff stated.

"_(I'm Gible! Nice to meet ya! You wanna play tag?!)" _Gible said excitedly

"_(Hmm…all right. I can see why Aly would accept you so easily. That cute face would get her hook, line and sinker.)" _Squirtle remarked while eyeing the normal/fairy type's whole body.

"_(Oh, you flatter me! By the way, do you mind holding onto these for me?)"_ Jigglypuff asked while holding out black markers. Squirtle and Gible looked confused, but accepted the task and took the writing utensils.

"_(Not sure what you're doing with this, but whatever. Anyways, we gotta finish our game! See ya!") _Squirtle said as it began to chase Gible again. Jigglypuff watched the two energetic Pokémon run off and smiled brightly. It then noticed that Vulpix in the distance was about to wake up, and quickly made a break for it.

"_(Ahhh…what a nap. I feel fully refreshed and recharged. I could use a battle right now.)" _Vulpix yawned while stretching its body. It then saw Squirtle in the distance, lying flat on the ground and panting heavily. Vulpix stood up straight and began walking towards its fellow companion to challenge it to a battle.

"_(Squirtle, let us battle against one another. We need to be more prepared for situations like what happened in Emerald City.)" _Vulpix said confidently.

"_(Vulpix…can't you see I'm…kind of busy he-") _Squirtle whined before getting a good look at Vulpix's face. It only took a split second before Squirtle started laughing hysterically at Vulpix while pointing at it.

"_(Why are you laughing?!)" _Vulpix shouted confused. Just then, Gible entered the scene.

"_(Squirtle, why are you laugh-") _Gible asked before looking getting a glance at Vulpix. The same thing happened, hysterical laughter that got the dragon Pokémon rolling on the floor with tears in its eyes. Vulpix became really disturbed from their reactions and made its way over towards Aly's bag. It pulled out its trainer's make up mirror and looked at itself.

Vulpix cried out in disbelief. There were black marker drawings all over its face that included stars, hearts and even a French mustache. No wonder Squirtle and Gible burst out laughing upon seeing its face. Vulpix looked over towards the two, who were still laughing out loud. It then noticed markers in each of their hands, which then got Vulpix really enraged.

"_(So…you think you draw all over my face and make a big joke about it!)" _Vulpix cried out angrily as it shot out a flamethrower attack at the two. Squirtle and Gible noticed this at the last second and dodged the attack just in time.

"(_Whoa! Easy there, Vulpix! It wasn't us!") _Squirtle reasoned.

"_(Yeah! We were playing tag the entire time! We never went near you!") _Gible added.

"_(Really? Then what's in your hands?") _Vulpix demanded. Gible and Squirtle looked at their hands, which were carrying black markers, and at each other with fear. They then held onto each other and began trembling in fear.

"_(I know this looks bad, but it wasn't us! Jigglypuff made us hold these!)" _Gible cried out.

"_(The dragon is right! We promise this is how it went down! Look, Jigglypuff is even coming this way.)" _Squirtle added while pointing in the distance. All the Pokémon looked over and saw the normal/fairy type walk their way. Only this time, it had bad marker drawings all over its face too.

"_(Don't tell me you drew all over this one's face as well…)" _Vulpix remarked.

All of a sudden, Jigglypuff made a cunning smile towards the group and started crying really loudly. Squirtle, Gible and Vulpix look on in shock and confusion as they then noticed Justin, Lyra and Aly make their way over to them.

"What's the problem Jigglypuff?" Justin asked. He then saw the drawings all over its face, as well as Vulpix's.

"Wow…umm…that's some interesting…" Justin mumbled while trying not to laugh out loud. Just before he cracked, Aly hit him hard over the head, which dropped him to the ground. She then saw markers in Squirtle and Gible's hands.

"Gible! Squirtle! How could you draw all over Jigglypuff and Vulpix's faces! That's so immature!" Aly scolded. Squirtle and Gible got even more scared and hugged each other tightly. Vulpix noticed that there was some confusion with its trainer's understanding of the situation.

"_(Wait, master…I think that-)"_

"Don't worry Jigglypuff and Vulpix, we'll get you cleaned up." Aly said while picking up the normal/fairy type. "As for you two, I might just cut your portions for lunch as punishment."

Squirtle and Gible became even more terrified at that thought and began crying fake tears while still embracing each other. Aly just ignored the two and walked away with Jigglypuff in its arms while telling Vulpix to follow it.

Justin got back up with the help of Lyra and rubbed the part of his head where Aly hit him.

"Man that hurt. But, I don't understand why Gible and Squirtle did that." He remarked.

"Hmm, I don't know if they actually did it to be honest." Lyra said suspiciously.

"There's pretty hard evidence with the markers in their hands."

"I know…but I still feel doubtful."

After that, both trainers walked away and back towards the main rest area. Squirtle and Gible wiped their tears and decided to walk back as well.

"_(We were duped man. That Jigglypuff is evil!") _Gible cried out in anger.

_(I know! But, you know what I can't wrap my head around? What is it doing carrying around markers in the first place?)" _Squirtle added.

* * *

"_(Hey Combusken! I was thinking that we could discuss different attack strategies to prepare us for future battles.)" _Espeon called out.

"_(Why sure, my comrade. I'd be honoured to assist you in exploring new tactics to better ourselves.)" _Combusken replied majestically.

"_(Please stop that. It's strange to see you act like this.)"_

"_(C'mon Espeon! I'm trying to be a stronger and cooler Pokémon that Justin will be proud of!)" _Combusken whined, dropping the cool-guy front.

"_(You're already strong Combusken. In fact, you may be the strongest out of all of us. And trust me, Justin is proud of you and the rest of the team. We're family, you know. You don't need to have that serious and stoic facade outside the battlefield. Just be yourself!)" _Espeon explained while giving a sweet smile. Combusken sighed and smiled back.

"_(You're right Espeon. Thanks for that. Anyways, let's talk battle techniques.")_

In the distance, a dark type Pokémon with gold designs all over its body watched both of Justin's Pokémon with great interest, particularly the psychic type.

"_(Espeon…she's so strong, yet so caring and beautiful.") _Umbreon sighed. Just then, it felt a tap on the side of its body. Umbreon turned to its right and found a round, pink Pokémon beside it.

"_(Um, hello. You are?)" _Umbreon said confused.

"_(Hi! I'm Jigglypuff! I see that you've taken an interest in the Espeon there, right?)" _Jigglypuff stated. Umbreon blushed a little, but sighed and nodded slightly.

"_(I've only known her for a bit as an Espeon, and only interacted with her as an Eevee. But, she's reached a new level of amazing in that new evolved form. She's also really confident and determined to get stronger.)" _Umbreon explained.

"_(Well, why don't you go tell her how you feel?)"_ Jigglypuff mentioned.

"_(No, no! It's too sudden. I couldn't possibly…)"_

"_(Relax Romeo. Just compliment her. Girls like it when they get complimented. Plus, if you sing her a song, she might take an interest in you. Girls like that stuff too.)" _The Jigglypuff elaborated further.

"_(You…really think so?") _Umbreon said, looking for assurance.

"(_Guaranteed. I'll even help you out!)"_ Jigglypuff said while pounding its chest with its arm to swear loyalty.

"_(All right. I'll give it a shot! After all that intense training with Lyra, this should be no problem!") _Umbreon said confidently as it began to walk over to Justin's Pokémon.

It only took a minute before the dark type Pokémon made its way over to Espeon and Combusken, who stopped their conversation in the presence of umbreon.

"_(Umbreon! Hello there! You look well. You want to join our conversation about battle techniques? It would be nice to collaborate our knowledge to help each other get stronger.") _Espeon asked in a friendly manner.

"_(Hi Espeon…Combusken. Sure, I would like to. But before I do, there's something…I'd like to say first.)" _Umbreon said, ending in a nervous tone.

_"(Sure. What's on your mind, Umbreon?)"_ Espeon asked politely.

"_(What's up? Is there something in particular you'd like to say? Or to someone?)" _Combusken asked curiously.

Umbreon stuttered for a bit, but then took a deep breath and calmed itself.

"_(Espeon, I just wanted to say that I think you're an amazing Pokémon. I know it hasn't been that long since we've known each other. But, seeing your determination to get stronger by discussing new battle techniques, as well as you kindness by helping Combusken deal with his nerves and become himself, it really impressed me. Plus, you're…quite beautiful too. I…I just thought I tell you that." _Umbreon explained.

Espeon was surprised by Umbreon's remarks and began blushing heavily. Combusken looked over at his friend and gave off a sneaky smile.

"_(Oh my. I…um…well, thank you for saying that. It's sweet of you to say that, and also a lot to take in right now. I…um…oh boy, it's getting real hot here.") _Espeon said, who became really flustered and embarrassed.

Umbreon blushed as well, thinking of how cute Espeon was acting now. He then felt a nudge against his side, which was Combusken.

"_(You're a smooth criminal man…criminal of her heart! I've never seen this side of Espeon before. Teach me, oh Casanova!)"_ Combusken remarked as he started giggling. Umbreon pushed him aside and got ready for his next act.

"_(Espeon!)"_ Umbreon called out. Espeon looked up at him, her face still beat red.

"_(I…um, I'm going to sing a song right now.)"_ Umbreon stated. All of a sudden, Espeon and Combusken had looks of confusion on their faces.

Just before Umbreon was about to howl out a tune, there was another melody that was being emitted from somewhere. All three Pokémon noticed this and began to look around to see where it was coming from. However, before they could try to recognize whose voice it was, they all felt really exhausted and instantly fell asleep on the ground.

From out of nowhere (RANDY ORTON, RKO!), Jigglypuff walked up to all three Pokémon with a marker in its hands. It proceeded to drawing all over Espeon's and Combusken's faces, and set the marker in Combusken's claws.

The last thing it did was drag Umbreon across the ground until it was positioned right on top of Espeon. Their faces were so close to each other that they nearly touched.

Jigglypuff giggled out loud and poked at all three Pokémon before booking it away.

Combusken woke up first. It rubbed its eyes and yawned. It was still very groggy before getting a sight of Umbreon and Espeon before crying out surprised. That woke up Umbreon and Espeon, who took a moment to wake up before noticing the position they were both in. Both of their faces became super red, which led to Espeon knocking away Umbreon in an Iron tail attack.

"_(Dummy!...Idiot!...What do you think you're doing? Sleeping on top of me like that…)" _Espeon growled while it prepared a shadow ball attack. Umbreon got back up and began to plead its case before noticing what was on Espeon's face.

"_(One, that ghost type attack won't affect me. Two, you have marker drawings all over your face.)" _Umbreon stated.

Espeon stopped charging its attack and used its paw to wipe part of its face. When it noticed black ink on its paw, it became even more embarrassed and shrieked out loudly.

"_(AHHH! DON'T LOOK!)" _Espeon turned around to hide its face from Umbreon. It then saw Combusken with a marker in its right claw.

"_(Combusken…would you care to explain why you have a marker in your claw?)"_ Espeon asked enraged.

Combusken then looked down at its right claw, which was holding a black marker.

"_(WAIT ESPEON! I DIDN"T DO IT! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THIS MARKER CAME FROM!)" _Combusken pleaded. Espeon didn't buy its reasoning and proceeded to attack Combusken with a shadow ball attack. It hit the fire type Pokémon and caused a big smoke explosion to occur.

"_(Did Combusken really do that? But it has marker drawings on his face too.)" _Umbreon thought to itself.

The smoke started to dissipate, revealing Combusken rubbing its left arm, presumably where the shadow ball hit it . Just then, Justin and Lyra made their way over to the three Pokémon and were in shock.

"Not again! Where do you guys get these markers from?" Justin said confused.

"Hmm…that Jigglypuff isn't around. I thought maybe it was a suspect, but it's not here this time." Lyra mentioned.

"Well, Combusken has a marker in its claw. But, it doesn't make sense for it to draw on itself. This is confusing. Espeon and Combusken, let's go get washed up."

Espeon and Combusken turned to their trainer and nodded. Suddenly, the two Pokémon plus Umbreon noticed Jigglypuff in the distance looking on at them. It gave a real cunning look at the Pokémon before frolicking the other way.

"_(Wait! That was the work of Jigglypuff!)" _Combuskennoted.

"_(I knew something was fishy.)"_ Umbreon added.

"_(That Jigglypuff is going to pay.)"_ Espeon vowed.

* * *

Mareep walked in a circle while looking down at the grass field it stepped on and laughed playfully.

"_(RARGH! I'm a monster! Be scared of me, grass! I will squish you all!)"_ Mareep cried out in a wannabe evil voice. It then turned in the opposite direction and went into a battle stance.

"_(Fiend! How dare you put the lives of the grass in danger?! I, Mareep the superhero, will stop you!)"_ Mareep stated in a more confident tone.

Just before switching personas again, Mareep then heard some creepy laughter coming from its right. It looked over and saw a pink, round Pokémon going through the unattended food laid out on the ground. Mareep then made its way over to the area and saw the Pokémon eating food that was presumably everyone's lunch for later.

"_(Um. Excuse me, but I think that's everyone's lunch for later. You shouldn't eat that…um, please?)"_ Mareep said. The Jigglypuff turned around to see who was talking to it. After examining Mareep, it turned back around to continue eating.

"_(Beat it, kid. No one asked you. I can do whatever I want.)" _Jigglypuff retorted. Mareep was surprised by the Pokémon's rude tone and took exception.

"_(You can't do that! Miss Aly worked hard to prepare that. I'll stop you. This looks like a job for Mareep the hero!)" _Mareep called out bravely.

Jigglypuff turned around at Mareep again and started to laugh.

"_(Wow, this is great. You actually think you're a superhero? Get real kid, you're nothing but a sheep Pokémon who can't do squat.)"_ Jigglypuff taunted.

"_(Why are you being so mean? That's not very nice…)" _Mareep said as it sniffled, trying to fight back some tears.

"_(Get used to it kid. There are mean people and Pokémon in the world. Just like there are those who are strong, and those who are weak. As for you, you fall into the latter category. So just give up and let me eat.)" _Jigglypuff said nonchalantly as it continued to eat food.

Mareep couldn't hold back its tears anymore. It started to cry and ran off into the grass field. It had its eyes closed and head down, not caring where it was going exactly, just so long as it got away.

"_(That Pokémon was a meanie! But…I should be braver than this. Otherwise I can't be heroes with Mister Justin.)"_ Mareep thought to itself. It quickly looked up and saw a familiar, water type Pokémon walking in its direction.

"_(Mister Mudkip! I need your help!)"_ Mareep cried out as it tackled Mudkip onto the ground.

"_(Oh my. What's wrong Mareep? Why are you crying?)"_ Mudkip asked in a calm voice, petting the electric Pokémon's head with one of its fins.

"_(There's a meanie Jigglypuff that's eating all of the lunches! I tried to stop it, but it was being mean to me. Please help me!)" _Mareep cried out.

"_(I see. Well, let's go see if we can talk Jigglypuff out of it.)"_ Mudkip assured. It wiped Mareep's tears from its face and began walking with it all the way back to Jigglypuff, who was still munching down on the lunches.

"_(Excuse me, but I believe you caused my friend here a great deal of trouble. Plus, you realize you're eating the lunches meant for us. I'd like for you to stop eating and apologize to Mareep.)"_ Mudkip stated. The Jigglypuff didn't move for a few moments, but then turned around with a very cute and apologetic face on.

"_(I'm very sorry, my friend. I was just very hungry. I didn't realize I was causing so much trouble for you all. If you would find it in your hearts to forgive me.)" _Jigglypuff pleaded while bowing its head.

"_(There you go Mareep. Problem all solved.)"_ Mudkip smiled at its friend.

Jigglypuff looked up and gave a cunning smile, which Mareep caught a glimpse of. All of a sudden, Jigglypuff dashed towards the two and hit Mudkip with a doubleslap attack, knocking the water Pokémon hard onto the ground.

"_(Mister Mudkip!)"_ Mareep called out worriedly to its friend. The attack was such a surprise to Mudkip that it hurt the water Pokémon more than expected. Mareep then turned towards the Jigglypuff, who was laughing hysterically.

"_(Now you've done it. I will stop you!)" _Mareep called out as it ran towards Jigglypuff and hit it with a tackle attack. The pink Pokémon was knocked backwards, but landed on its feet no problem.

"_(Is that all you've got?)"_ The Jigglypuff taunted.

Mareep grunted angrily before releasing a thundershock attack that hit and electrocuted Jigglypuff. Once the attack stopped, Jigglypuff fell backwards and had black smoke steam off its body.

"_(And the day is saved, all thanks to Mareep!)" _Mareep cried out happily. Just then, Aly, Justin and Lyra came along to see the scene. Aly noticed the Jigglypuff and Mudkip knocked out, as well as some of the lunch missing.

"Mareep! Did you hit Jigglypuff and Mudkip with a thundershock and eat some of the lunch early?!" Aly asked. Mareep looked back at Aly, who had a scary glare on her face, and began tearing up.

"_(But…but…)" _Mareep stuttered as it tried to hold back the inevitable water works.

"Hold on a minute. Don't jump to conclusions just yet. I know Mareep wouldn't eat the food early without permission. And maybe Jigglypuff did something to Mareep and Mudkip, which warranted a counter strike." Justin explained.

Jigglypuff got up to its feet and began crying with an innocent look on its face.

"Awwww, how can you say that about this cute little guy?!" Aly squealed as she went to go pick up Jigglypuff in her arms.

"There, there Jigglypuff. I'll take care of you." Aly said calmly as she walked away with the Jigglypuff. Justin and Lyra then looked at each other in confusion.

"This is the third weird incident that happened with our Pokémon today." Justin mentioned as he picked up the hurt Mudkip in his arms.

"I'm starting to think that the Jigglypuff isn't as innocent as we think." Lyra added.

* * *

"All right everyone. Hope you all enjoy lunch!" Aly said happily.

The whole group was together on the cloth to eat lunch. The three trainers sat with one another while all the Pokémon were together. Jigglypuff sat across from all the trainer's Pokémon, who were giving the normal/fairy type Pokémon suspicious glares.

"Time to eat! Let's dig in!" Justin cried out. Everyone else echoed Justin's sentiment and took their first bite.

After the first two to three bites, everyone cringed and reached for their glass or bowl of water to drink. The food was so spicy that it felt like everyone's mouth was on fire, even for the fire type Pokémon.

"HOLY BUTTS! THAT'S SUPER SPICY!" Justin yelped out after drinking a big gulp of water.

"Geez Aly. I never knew you were into spicy food." Lyra remarked.

"Guys! I didn't make it like this! I actually added no spice at all! The tomato berries were separated from the actual food!" Aly preached to her friends.

It was then that the three trainers noticed all of their Pokémon glaring at the Jigglypuff, who was laughing hysterically on its back. This was the final clue that pieced Lyra's theory together.

"I should have known it was Jigglypuff. From the very beginning, it was him." Lyra deducted.

"How could you Jigglypuff. I believe in you…" Aly said sadly.

"It's your own fault Aly. You were easily fooled by its cuteness, and that it affected your reasoning." Justin mentioned.

"You're right…"

"Anyways, I say we get rid of this troublemaker. It's caused all of us way too much headaches today! What do you say guys?!" Justin called out to everyone. Lyra, Aly and all of their Pokémon cried out in agreement. They all got up from their spots and surrounded the Jigglypuff, who got back up to see its current situation.

"Jiggly…" Jigglypuff cried out softly as it showed Aly some puppy-dog eyes again. However, Aly still had her glare upon it.

"You're not fooling me this time." Aly said seriously.

"I've been suspicious of you from the very beginning. And now, you're going to get it." Lyra remarked.

"Everyone charge!" Justin shouted out. All of them dashed inwards towards Jigglypuff in an all-man onslaught.

Rather than being scared, Jigglypuff smiled cunningly before opening its mouth and began singing a beautiful melody. It instantly stopped everyone in their tracks as the soft sound started to make them all feel drowsy. Within a few seconds, the three trainers and their Pokémon all fell to the ground and fell asleep.

"Jigglypuff! Jiggly!" Jigglypuff giggled. It then brought out a marker and began to draw random symbols and features on everyone's faces. The Jigglypuff's laughter turned maniacal with each drawing on its victims.

After everyone's face was drawn on, it threw the marker at the group and frolicked off into the distance of the grass field.

"_(That was so much fun today! I hope I have just as much fun tomorrow!)" _Jigglypuff thought to itself.

* * *

Aly, Lyra and Justin were the first ones to get up, followed by all of their Pokémon. Judging from the temperature of the food, they had been asleep for a while. When they all got a glimpse of each other's faces, there was instant laughter at one another from the silly graffiti that was drawn on.

The group decided to finish the rest of the spicy food and wash their faces with the help of the water Pokémon Mudkip and Squirtle. They also realized that Jigglypuff was nowhere to be found.

"Man that was interesting. Thank god that creature is gone." Justin remarked. Lyra then poked him on the back to draw his attention to Aly, who was bowing in front of all of the Pokémon.

"Everyone…I am so sorry for how I acted today. I should have known that you guys weren't the culprits for today's shenanigans. Would you be able to forgive me?" Aly pleaded. After a delayed response, she looked up and saw all the Pokémon smiling at her. They all cried out in unison, saying that she was forgiven.

"Thanks everyone. To finalize my apology, let's have desert!" Aly shouted with joy. All of the Pokémon echoed her cry of happiness and excitement.

"It's good to see Aly owning up to her mistakes." Justin remarked while smiling.

"It just goes to show that you can't judge a book by its cover." He added.

"No, you can't. You can never know what is truly beneath someone…" Lyra said in a somewhat depressing tone. Justin looked over at her in confusion.

"Wait, what?"

"Oh! Don't mind me! Just thinking out loud! C'mon Justy! Let's go and grab some of Aly's desert!" Lyra said in a more cheerful tone while pulling on Justin's arm.

"Ok! Ok! Slow down, would you!" Justin called out as they both went to rejoin the group for what promised to be a sweet and delicate desert for everyone.

_**AN: I know I said the story's tone will be darker, but not this chapter! Happy Holidays everybody! See you again in 2016!**_


	37. Chapter 37 - Master of Dragons

_**AN: Hello everybody! Man, it's been way too long. I apologize for the major delay. The story is still here and will continue until I officially say so.**_

_**Just a little update on me. I am officially done university and am currently unemployed. I have been applying to places all over, but its pretty tough out there now. I also got into a game called Xenoblade Chronicles X, which took over my life for all of January and distracted me heavily from writing (and all other things to lol). If you like RPG's and have a Wii U. I highly recommend it! I am really looking forward to the new Fire Emblem Fates game coming out too (those who have 3ds and have not played FE before, go get Awakening! One of the best 3DS games out there!).**_

_**Enough of me, here's the story.**_

**Chapter 37 – Master of Dragons**

"Lyra, are you sure you want to travel with us this way? I mean, we're basically going through places you've already been to before." Justin inquired while walking in front of his two female companions, Lyra and Aly, along the dirt path of Route 406.

"Don't worry about me. After what I've been through the past few weeks, I'm due for a break. Plus, I want to hang out with you guys. It's pretty lonely all by myself, so travelling with my friends is a nice change." Lyra replied while looking up into the blue sky,

"Well, we certainly have no objections with you being here, Lyra." Aly smiled.

"I'll allow only it if Lyra and I get to have a battle sometime soon." Justin remarked, turning his head around towards Lyra.

"You got a deal, my friend." Lyra smirked.

"FINALLY! I can't wait!" Justin cried out cheerfully, shooting his hands up into the air.

"Actually, why wait?! Let's do it right here, right now!" Justin demanded, his whole body now turned around and walking ahead backwards.

"Sure, I'm down!" Lyra exclaimed confidently.

"I could use a break now anyway. A battle between you two would be entertaining to watch." Aly noted.

"It's settled then! Lyra, I challenge you to a ba-"

Justin stopped mid-sentence as he was pushed from behind onto the ground. It was sudden, but he managed to break his fall by landing on his forearms first. It was so quick that Lyra and Aly only registered what happened after Justin was on the ground. They rushed over to check on their friend.

"Are you ok, Justy?" Aly asked concernedly.

"You took quite a tumble there." Lyra added. Both girls reached out their hand, which Justin grabbed onto with his, and helped their friend back up.

"Damn, that was rough. But I'm fine." Justin said. He turned around to see what hit him.

There was a boy, who appeared younger than the 3 trainers, on the ground looking dazed and rubbing his head to ease the pain. He wore a red, karate style robe with a black belt tied around his waist, white pants and wooden sandals.

"Oh, I'm sorry pal. Should have watched were I was going." Justin said apologetically, walking over to the boy to offer his hand.

"Heh, yeah you should have been. Who walks down a path backwards?" The boy complained in frustration. He dismissed Justin's hand and got up on his own.

"My bad. I was super excited about having a battle with my friend here that I just did that." Justin laughed it off.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't be so dumb. Then incidents like that wouldn't happen."

"Hey, he said sorry. No need to be rude." Aly defended Justin as she stepped in front of her friend.

"Yeah, what's with the attitude?" Lyra added

"Girls, its ok. It was my fault anyway." Justin said reassuringly. Aly then backed away.

"Damn right it was. Need your girlfriends to step in for you? Well, not this time. I'm not going to let you get away with making a fool out of me." The boy scoffed in a snooty manner.

"Bruh, relax man. I'm not trying to make a fool out of you, all right? So stop being a pansy." Justin retorted.

"YOU CALLING ME A PANSY?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO THE HECK I AM?!"

"YES! I KNOW EXACTLY WHO I'M DEALING WITH! A PANSY!"

Justin and the weird boy were staring and growling at each other with anger and frustration.

"Fine! Let's have a battle! That'll make you give me, Kovu the future dragon master, the respect I deserve!" The boy shouted out.

"Sure! I love battles! I have no idea how we got here, but let's go!" Justin yelled back excitedly.

From the sides, Aly and Lyra looked at each other in confusion.

"Um, what just happened?" Lyra asked.

"Just another day with Justin Riser is all…" Aly sighed.

* * *

The 4 trainers found an open field off the dirt path for the upcoming battle to take place. Justin and Kovu stood far across from each other while Lyra and Aly resided on the made up sidelines.

"So, your name is Kovu right? And you said future dragon master? That must mean you have some super cool dragon Pokémon! Man, I'm excited to see those!" Justin exclaimed giddily.

"Duh! Of course I would have dragon Pokémon." Kovu retorted.

"Well, I happen to have a Dragon Pokémon as well!" Justin said as he took a Pokeball from his belt and threw it in the air.

"Gible, let's go!"

The Pokeball opened up and out came the small Dragon Pokémon, who bounced up and down happily.

"I must admit, I'm impressed in your taste for dragon Pokémon. But, it will fall before mine!" Kovu remarked as he threw is Pokeball out, releasing another small, blue dragon Pokémon that had 3 grey ridges covering its head and a triangular yellow patch on its underside.

"Bagon!" The Pokémon screeched.

"Dude! That's a Bagon! You totally know how to pick your partner!" Justin exclaimed exuberantly.

"Yeah I do! Enough talk though. It's time to duel! (Yugioh…)" Kovu remarked as he prepared to call out the first attack. "Bagon, use your headbutt! Maximum Power to end this in one turn!"

The Bagon roared out before beginning to dash straight towards Gible with its head bent down. Justin and Gible didn't move an inch however. They waited patiently for Bagon to come in close before launching a counterstrike at the right time.

"Gible, use dig!" Justin commanded.

Gible quickly buried itself underground, leaving a small visible hole in the earth. The Bagon continued to charge in head first without realizing the hole in front of it.

"AHHH! BAGON! STOP!" Kovu yelled out loudly. Before Bagon registered its trainer's call, it fell right into the hole Gible left behind and got stuck in it. The top half of its body stuck out as it flailed its tiny arms around, trying helplessly to get out of the situation it was in.

"Gible, finish this with Dragon Pulse!" Justin commanded.

All of a sudden, a blue light began to glow around the outside of the hole. The look on Bagon's and Kovu's face showed that they knew what was coming. Moments later, Bagon was shot up from the hole and into the air by a blue aura that caused the Dragon Pokémon unsurmountable pain.

"Bagon!" Kovu yelled out worriedly. Bagon then began to descend downwards until it landed on the ground hard in front of its trainer. There were scratches all over its body as it lay motionless on the ground, unable to battle anymore.

"Well, I guess that's that. Justin wins." Lyra remarked from the sidelines.

"Great work Justin…I think." Aly said unsurely.

"And that's game! Looks like I'm the victor." Justin said, showing gratitude to Gible for battling before returning it to its Pokeball. Kovu returned the fallen Bagon back to its Pokeball and looked down upon it.

"ARGHHHH! HOW COULD I LOSE JUST LIKE THAT?!" Kovu shouted in frustration while stopping his foot on the ground repeatedly.

"Bro, chill out, yeah? No need for the temper tantrum right now." Justin remarked.

"I am the future Dragon Master Kovu! I will not accept this loss! I challenge you to a different battle!"

"Man, this guy is persistent. No way Justin should take this." Lyra muttered towards Aly.

"5 bucks he does." Aly replied.

"Sure, I'll take on whatever you throw at me." Justin said with a confident look. Aly giggled and extended her hand over towards Lyra, who reluctantly handed over a bill.

"Kovu, that's enough." A stern voice called out from nowhere. Everyone looked around to locate the speaker, while Kovu had a real scared look on his face as if he knew the voice. A couple of metres behind Lyra and Aly was a woman with brown hair who donned the same robes as Kovu. Whilst she was beautiful, she had an angry glare set on Kovu.

"Kiara! Um, what a surprise seeing you out here…" Kovu said nervously.

"What's going on? You violated the rules again by leaving the village without permission, and now I see you giving these poor trainers here a hard time?!" Kiara stated in an angry tone.

"But sis, I went out to get real experience! I'm not going to become the future dragon master by being trapped in the village and in class all day. I'm tired of just learning through lectures. I need to participate in actual battles if I want to reach my goal!" Kovu explained.

"You're not ready yet, Kovu. And it clearly showed in this battle you were just a part of. You were way too rash and didn't have a level head entering the battle."

"This guy just got lucky! I'll show him up in the next battle!"

Kiara simply sighed and turned her head in Justin, Aly and Lyra's direction.

"I'm really sorry about my rambunctious brother over here. I know he's a little crazy, but deep down, he's got a good heart. I hope you can forgive him." She said sincerely while bowing her head down.

"Hey, don't apologize to them!" Kovu yelled. Kiara looked back at her brother and glared at him, causing the boy to pipe down and look away embarrassed.

"It's all good. It was kind of my fault we ever got here, so I guess it all evens out." Justin smiled.

"You said you were from a village, right?" Aly remarked curiously.

"Ah, yes. We're both from Dragonar Village, which is just a bit east from here." Kiara mentioned.

"I've never heard of it before." Lyra added.

"Well, we're not exactly a tourist hot spot in Minero. It's really a semi-remote place where the people who live there raise and admire Dragon type Pokémon. Given that, they usually aspire to become Dragon type Pokémon trainers, which is what me and my brother want to be."

"Sounds real interesting. Are there wild Dragon Pokémon around there too?" Justin asked.

"Yes and more. Usually, the elder in our village will give out certain dragon Pokémon to beginning trainers as their partners." Kiara added. "If you want, you guys can come check it out with me giving you a tour? It's the least I can do with the way my brother acted."

"Sure, that'll be great! Thank you!" Aly replied.

"Man, I'm excited! We're going to see Dragon Pokémon and trainers!" Justin exclaimed.

"You'll get excited over anything." Lyra remarked with a sigh.

"As for you Kovu, we're going to have a chat about this little incident with the elder and Kai." Kiara said towards her brother.

'Wait, no! Not Kai! Please don't say anything!" Kovu begged desperately.

"Who's Kai?" Justin asked confused.

"Oh, you'll see." Kiara replied with a wink.

* * *

The whole group had finally arrived at Dragonar Village. It really was remote as there was no signs of any visible landmark up to the horizon line from the entrance. The whole village was surrounded by a tall, wooden stake fence though, so it would it stick out if anyone happened to stumble upon it. Kiara and Kovu began to walk forward, who were followed by Justin Lyra and Aly. The latter trio observed their surroundings in awe. It wasn't your typical old traditional village, as the living houses were actually wooden lodges rather than teepees. There were all sorts of different people wandering around, who wore the same outfits as Kiara and Kovu. Many types of wild Pokémon, mostly dragons, also roamed around the area, interacting with each other or the townsfolk.

"This looks like such a peaceful place!" Aly noted.

"It's definitely a more modern village, that's for sure." Lyra added.

"This village has been around for hundreds of years, but it's been adapting to the times." Kiara mentioned.

"So are all the people here descendants of past villagers?" Aly asked.

"Well, most, but not all. The village is pretty open to accepting new people who have the same admiration and appreciation for dragon type Pokémon."

As the group continued to walk, the laughter of a group of Axews chasing each other along the ground caught everyone's attention. The joy and positivity from the little ones put a smile on the group's faces. Just then, shadows cast upon them from a flock of Swablu and Altaria that gracefully flew in the sky.

"So this is Dragonar Village eh? It's incredible!" Justin said, marvelling at the surroundings.

"Only the best of the best Dragon type trainers live here." Kovu remarked.

"He's right. This place is home to Minero's very own Kai." Kiara added.

"You mentioned the name Kai before. I feel like I know that name from somewhere." Lyra said.

"Well, you'll see him real soon. He's just up ahead with our Elder." Kiara pointed. Justin, Aly and Lyra looked on ahead and saw two people in front of a bigger lodge then the ones they passed along the way. The person on the left was an elderly woman who was a short, had white long hair and wore a slightly different variation of the Kovu and Kiara's robes. The other person beside her was a tall man with black short hair and a muscular build wearing a black tank top, brown slim pants, and a silver cape. The two figures recognized the group approaching them and turn their attention to them.

"Kiara! Kovu! There you guys are." The elderly woman said, sounding relieved.

"Sorry it took a little longer than expected, Elder. But, I found the troublemaker." Kiara said. She then pushed Kovu forward in front of the elder and other man. Kovu had a really nervous look on his face he tried to conceal, but ultimately caved in and bowed before the two.

"I'M TRULY SORRY FOR LEAVING THE VILLAGE ON MY OWN ACCORD, KAI…AND ELDER!" Kovu whined loudly.

"Is it that bad that he took off?" Aly asked Kiara quietly.

"Usually for beginner students like Kovu, it's a pretty serious offense. Dragonar Village trainer pupils go through study sessions about dragon type Pokémon and battles before being allowed to go out into the open by themselves." Kiara explained.

Kovu still bowed down before the elder and the man in order to gain their forgiveness. The elder had an unimpressed expression on her face and walked towards the boy.

"You know the rules Kovu, so why did you break them? You have no idea how worried we were about you." The elder scolded.

"I'm sorry elder! It's just…it's because I want to get stronger through real experience! I won't learn anything from a textbook and lectures! I need to be a part of real battles in order to become a dragon master like Kai!" Kovu explained.

"Kovu, there is a process you need-"

The elder was cut off by the man beside her, Kai, by raising his arm up. He smiled at her and nodded, informing her that he will handle the situation. He then walked over towards Kovu and knelt down before him.

"Kovu." Kai said calmly. Kovu pick himself up and looked up at Kai.

"Listen Kovu. I understand and admire you drive and passion to become a dragon master. However, one must learn to walk before they run. They say the pen is mightier than the sword, and it's true. If you go out now, unprepared with no knowledge about dragon type Pokémon and battling, you'll lose the battle and never reach your goals. So please, listen to the elder. Stay in the village and take your studies seriously."

Kovu looked up in admiration at Kai.

"Did you… go through all the study sessions when you were here too?" Kovu asked.

"I sure did. And as much as I wanted to get battling right away, I knew that the lessons were invaluable to preparing me for what was out there." Kai said reassuringly. Kovu looked downwards at the ground and thought about Kai's words of wisdom. After pondering, he looks back up at Kai with determination in his eyes.

"I'll do it Kai. I want to be just like you when I'm older. So if it worked for you, then I'm willing to put in the work." Kovu announced.

"That's good to hear. I look forward to seeing progress within you."

Kiara, Justin, Aly, Lyra and the elder all looked on at the touching moment between Kovu and Kai with a smile. Kai then noticed the trainer group behind Kovu.

"Oh, are these friends of yours?" Kai asked Kovu.

"They're travelling trainers who were bothered by Kovu, but were curious about our village. So, I'd thought I show them around." Kiara mentioned. Suddenly, she remembered something important and turned around towards the group.

"Oh my goodness! I totally forgot to ask your names! I'm Kiara by the way, and you've already met Kovu." She said embarrassed.

"It's ok! My name is Justin Riser! Future Minero Region Champion!" Justin exclaimed proudly.

"My name is Aly Eatos, and I'm working to become someone that helps Pokémon medically in the future." Aly stated politely.

"I'm Lyra McFarland, and like Justin, I'm working to become the Minero League Champion as well." Lyra said.

"I'm the village elder. It's a pleasure to meet all of you, and welcome to our village." The elder said with a smile.

"My name is Kai, Dragon Master and member of the Elite Four in Minero." Kai stated.

Justin, Aly and Lyra gasped at the title Kai presented himself as.

"Did you just say Elite Four?!" Justin asked flabbergasted.

"That is correct." Kai smiled.

"Wow, so that makes you one of the strongest trainers in the entire league! This is really exciting. We're in the presence of a Minero Region celebrity!" Aly said excitedly.

"I appreciate the kind words, miss. This is my home village where I grew up, so I figured I'd visit during my little time off."

All of a sudden, Justin rushed up right in front of Kai and stared up at him with a glowing expression.

"Kai! Could we like, battle right now?!" He exclaimed excitedly. Everyone in the group gasped, shocked at the recent request made by the exuberant trainer.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I heard all day!" Kovu exclaimed.

"Ju-Justin! That's a member of the Elite Four! You won't stand a chance!" Aly added.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. But, I really want to do this! You don't run into a member of the Elite Four in the middle of nowhere every day. Plus, I want to see how I stack up against one of the best!" Justin explained. "So please Kai, will you give a chance to show my strength?"

Kai looked on at the energetic boy who was challenging him to a battle. Just from the look of his face and his eyes, Kai was able to sense that Justin was no ordinary trainer and could present an entertaining challenge.

"Hmm. There's something about you that has peaked my interest. Very well, I accept you challenge." Kai said calmly.

"ALL RIGHT!" Justin cried out in joy. Everyone else gasped in shock and confusion.

"What?! HE gets to challenge you just like that?" Kovu remarked in frustration.

"Kovu, I want you to watch this battle. This boy has a lot of qualities that I see in you." Kai said. Kovu then kept quiet and listened to his idol.

"Very well then, let us use the practise battlefield by the north entrance." The elder stated.

* * *

The entire group made their way over to the north side of Dragonar Village, where there was a beat up, but usable dirt battlefield on the ground. Justin and Kai stood on opposite sides of the field while the rest of the group found themselves on the sidelines.

"So, how good is your friend over there?" Kiara asked Aly.

"Well, he currently has 5 badges at the moment. He's definitely a good trainer and has an unprecedented amount of determination and passion when he battles. However, I don't know how he'll do against a member of the Elite Four." Aly explained, ending in a nervous tone. "I hope he'll be all right."

"Well, there must be something about him if Kai was willing to do a battle with him. I'm pretty interested now."

"Kai is going to win. Justin won't even be able to land a single hit. Should be over in a couple of seconds." Kovu remarked. Aly looked over at him, but not feeling upset with the boy's latest comments.

"I can see that you really look up to Kai, Kovu." She said.

"Kai is practically a hero to Kovu. It was through watching one of his battles that Kovu decided he wanted to be just like him. The thing about Kai is that he's so calm and cool during a battle. It's like nothing fazes him. But, you know that underneath his calm exterior, he enjoys every battles he partakes in." Kiara said proudly.

"Wow, I can't wait to see what he's like in this battle." Aly said excitedly. She then looked over at Lyra beside her, who was focusing closely on Kai.

"You all right Lyra?" She asked.

"I can't put my finger on it…but, I feel like I know that guy. On a personal level, as if we met before." Lyra mentioned.

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm sure you'll remember later. But right now, let's cheer on Justin!"

"All right! This is a one-on-one battle between Kai and Justin. Everyone knows the rules, so nothing else needs to be said! Begin!" The elder announced.

"All right! Since this is a dragon master I'm facing, let's go with a Dragon Pokémon! Gible, I choose you!' Justin called out as he tossed out a Pokeball that let out the small, energetic dragon Pokémon.

"Gib-ble!" Gible cried out as it bounced up and down happily while waving its small arms.

"Well this is exciting. Your Pokémon looks well trained. I'll give you my best then. Let's go!" Kai said as he threw out his Pokeball. The ball opened and out came an illumination of a tall and large Pokémon. The light faded after a few seconds, revealing a Dragon Pokémon that had a dark green covering on its back and 2 black tusks with red outlining that resembled scythes around its upper jaw.

"HAX-ORUS!" The Dragon Pokémon roared out violently. Its cry created air waves that caused everyone to brace themselves from being pushed back.

"Holy crap. That's one big fella over there." Justin gulped. Gible stopped bouncing around and looked skywards towards its foe. Haxorus looked down at Gible and glared at it with its glowing, red eyes, which caused the small dragon Pokémon to sweat a little.

"Don't tell me you're scared." Kai said.

"Scared? Perhaps you don't know me very well. I LIVE for challenges like this!" Justin cried out excitedly. Gible responded to its trainer's words and got into a battle stance.

"Let's see how we do Gible! Start out with a Dragon pulse attack!" Justin commanded.

Gible nodded and proceeded to unleashing a turquoise ball of energy towards its opponent.

"Send it back." Kai ordered calmly.

As the Dragon Pulse came closer, Haxorus got ready by adjusting its right claw's positioning to its body. At the right time, the large Dragon Pokémon shot out its right claw and blocked the attack. However, the ball of energy that hit Haxorus' claw was still active and pushing. It was as if Haxorus had caught the Dragon Pulse, which was small enough to grip it with its claw, and was ready to use it as its own.

"That's not good…" Justin remarked.

Haxorus then pulled its arm slightly back before sending it right back at Gible with twice the original speed, size and power.

"Gible, dodge it!" Justin yelled out.

In the nick of time, Gible jumped up in the air and dodged the attack. The Dragon Pulse hit the ground so hard that a large vibration resonated through the ground, causing everyone to stumble a little.

"Damn…that was in hot." Justin said in awe. "All right, now use Dig Gible!"

Gible nodded and burrowed itself underground. Justin hoped that this would throw off Kai and cause him to think about where Gible might pop up from. However, from the look on his face, Kai didn't even flinch. He just stood there like he had been all battle; calm, cool and collected.

"Jeez, you're pretty chill, aren't you?" Justin remarked playfully.

"It's going to take a whole lot more than a little underground trick to make me worry. Why don't I show you some of my power?" Kai smirked.

"Haxorus! Earthquake!" He commanded with a little more emotion.

Haxorus roared loudly as it slowly raised its right foot off the ground. Moments after, it slammed its foot back onto the ground, which created a massive vibration that knocked Justin and everyone on the sidelines off their feet. The attack was so powerful that even Gible was shot up from the underground and flew into the air, vulnerable to an attack.

"What power!" Justin remarked

"Now, use Dragon Tail!" Kai commanded again. Haxorus ran a little further so it was in striking distance of Gible. Once it was in close proximity, Haxorus pivoted its body towards the helpless Gible and whipped its glowing tail right into it. Gible was hit hard and sent diagonally down towards the ground before slamming hard onto it.

"Gible, no!" Justin cried out loudly. Gible got back onto its feet really slowly, but looked in pretty bad shape. Tons of scratches were all over its body as it panted heavily from the powerful, super effective attack.

"Oh no." Aly said worriedly.

"It's a miracle that Gible is even still moving for battle." Kiara mentioned.

"I told you. This is was an easy-peasy battle for Kai. No one stands a chance against him." Kovu stated confidently.

"Don't give up on Justin just yet." Lyra said. Kiara and Kovu looked at her surprised, but Lyra was still focused in on the battle.

"Lyra's right. You never count out Justin until it's over." Aly added with a smile.

"Justin. I'm surprised your Gible is still standing after my Haxorus' Dragon tail attack. It shows how strong you've raised your Gible. But, it looks like the end of the line for you." Kai stated calmly.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to show that you should never count me out until the battle is over." Justin said with confidence. Kai looked in on his opponent and sensed a different kind of aura coming from him then when the match started.

"All right! Gible, let's show Mr. Elite Four here how we do things, Justin Riser style!" Justin shouted out. Gible's energy shot up as it roared loudly into the air, ready to fight again.

"_Just like that, Justin was able to reinvigorate his Pokémon's strength and morale. He's certainly a passionate one."_ Kai thought to himself.

"Gible, get in there and use your Dragon Claw!" Justin commanded.

Gible roared out again and then charged ahead towards Haxorus with its claw glowing brightly.

"Haxorus! Knock it away with Dragon Tail!" Kai commanded. Haxorus then ran ahead too as it got ready to swing its tail at the incoming Gible. The two dragon Pokémon came in closer and closer until Haxorus turned its body to whip its tail out.

"Gible, jump up!" Justin commanded. Gible jumped in the air and dodged Haxorus' tail and was in prime position to attack.

"Land on the ground and use your small size and speed to evade while staying close to Haxorus!" He added.

Gible stopped its Dragon Claw attack and landed back on the ground, running around close to Haxorus. The large Dragon Pokémon kept trying to whip its tail at Gible, but the latter proved to be a formidable dodger.

"Why didn't he attack there? Sure, it wouldn't have done much, but it makes no sense." Kai said to himself in an unsure tone. He also looked on and saw that his physical Dragon attacks weren't connecting at all.

"Haxorus! Use Dragon Pulse now!" Kai commanded. Haxorus stopped twirling around at unleashed a large turquoise ball of energy right at Gible.

"Just what I wanted. An energy attack. Gible, let's turn it against him! Use Dig and angle the underground path!" Justin commanded.

Gible nodded and dug a large hole while going underground. Haxorus released the attack and the ball of energy followed Gible down the hole, but there was no explosion signalling a hit.

"Wait, what?!" Kai exclaimed.

"Well, I kind of know now that Gible's regular attacks aren't strong enough to damage your Pokémon. So…we just need to use your own attacks against you." Justin explained while smirking.

"Gible, come up now and fire it back at Haxorus!"

All of a sudden, Gible rose up to the surface right behind Haxorus. This time though, it was holding onto the Dragon Pulse attack with its two. Everyone, including Kai were shocked to see these turn of events. Before Haxorus has time to turn around, Gible threw the Dragon Pulse right at Haxorus' back, causing a smoke explosion upon impact and the latter the cry out in pain.

"With the way that Gible dug underground, the Dragon Pulse travelled through the tunnel and made its way all the way back up to the surface. That way, we could fire it right back at you. Sweet, don't you think?" Justin explained further. Kai didn't responded, instead marvelled at the strategy used against him.

'Well I'll be. Now that was something I didn't see coming. I'm really impressed." He mentioned.

"Thanks! But, the battle isn't over yet!"

"You're right. And now, it's time for my trump card to come out so I can win this!" Kai exclaimed. "Haxorus! Draco Meteor!"

Haxorus roared loudly into the sky as it shot an orange energy ball high into the sky. All of a sudden, it exploded and released multiple orange spheres to fall down onto the battlefield.

"Holy Butts! Gible, try to dodge all of them!" Justin cried out worriedly.

Gible ran for its life, barely avoiding the energy spheres that crashed down onto the battlefield. However, due to the large number of Draco meteors that were falling, it was only a matter of time before Gible was hit with one of them and sent flying backwards towards Justin. The small dragon Pokémon landed hard onto the ground, letting out a faint cry that signalled it was unable to battle.

"This battle is over! Kai is the winner!" The elder announced.

"Gible!" Justin cried out as he rushed over to his fallen Pokémon. He picked Gible up in his arms, who opened its eyes to see its trainer tending to it.

"You were amazing out there buddy! We actually landed a blow on an Elite Four's Pokémon! Take a good rest." He said as he got his Pokeball out to return Gible. Kai, who already returned his Haxorus back to its ball, walked over towards Justin.

"Justin that was an excellent battle. Your passion and creativity shone brightly during that last sequence. I will learn from this battle to become even stronger, so thank you." Kai stated.

"You're really strong Kai. Thank you for accepting my challenge. I learned a lot from our battle today too." Justin replied. Both trainers extended their hands to shake. The rest of the group then made their way towards Justin and Kai.

"Wow Justin! Good job!" Aly remarked.

"That was really unexpected! But, that's totally normal when we're talking about you!" Lyra added.

"I can't believe you pulled that off! That was pretty incredible!" Kiara stated.

Kovu then walked right up to Justin, but with eyes of admiration rather than hate.

"Dude! That was awesome! You actually managed to put a hit on Kai! You really are amazing!" Kovu exclaimed excitedly.

"Aww man, you're making me blush." Justin replied.

"Kovu, I want you to grow up having the same determination and passion as Justin. Can you do that for me?" Kai remarked.

"Absolutely sir! I'm going to be like Kai, and Justin!' Kovu said while pointing upwards to the sky in a cool pose. Everyone then smiled and laughed happily at the joyful events occurring. During the commotion, Lyra made her way over to Kai.

"Kai. Have we met somewhere else before?" Lyra asked curiously. Everyone else stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to her. Kai observed Lyra's face a little more before stringing an unusual smile.

"Well, this is certainly a surprise. You looked familiar, but it is really is you. Never thought I'd run into Skylar's kid here of all places." He said.

"Skylar?" Aly uttered.

"He's my father…but better known as the former Minero Champion." Lyra explained. Everyone around her gasped out loud.

"THE CHAMPION? YOUR FATHER?" Justin exclaimed.

"Former champion, but yeah. It's been 3 years since he stepped down into retirement. But, his legacy among the Elite Four and Minero lives on."

"Skylar was one of the best opponents I ever had the chance to face. The way he was able to think 2 moves ahead of you was remarkable. I came close to winning a couple of times, but he was always one step ahead of me." Kai explained.

"So, how do you guys know each other then?" Aly asked.

"My father may have been the undisputed champion at one point, but he was a very friendly man who often invited members of the Elite Four over for social occasions. I was really young at the time, so I don't really remember that much. But, I did meet a lot of powerful trainers during that time." Lyra stated.

"Lyra was just a little kid the last time I saw her. And my, have you grown up. Being the kid of a former champion, I'm sure expectations are high on you to follow in his footsteps." Kai said.

"You don't have to tell me again." Lyra replied bluntly. Again, Justin and Aly were taken by the tone in Lyra's voice.

"To tell the truth, I would love to test out your skills in battle right now. But I have somewhere to be really soon, so I got to go."

"Leaving already?!" Kovu cried out sadly.

"I'm sorry buddy. Such is life as a member of the Elite Four, always on the move. But I'll come back to visit again when I can." Kai reassured. He then turned back towards Justin and Lyra.

"Keep doing what you're doing Justin. I'm sure we'll meet again someday. And Lyra, good luck with your journey as well. Maybe one day you'll be even better than Skylar was."

"See ya Kai! Until next time!" Justin replied.

"Thanks. Take care Kai." Lyra said.

Kai then turned to the Elder and gave her a nod before walking away towards the exit.

"And like that, there he goes." Kiara said.

"That Kai is something else, isn't he?" Aly remarked.

"He sure is. I'm going to train even harder so that one day, I can beat him!" Justin exclaimed.

"Heh, I don't think you'll ever beat him." Kovu remarked.

"Oh yeah? You want to battle again?!" Justin retorted while towering over the Kovu. Both boys then got into a playful argument that involved them growling at each other.

"How did this even happen?" Lyra sighed

"Like I said before. Just another day with Justin Riser." Aly said.

_**I won't promise anything, but the next chapter shouldn't take as long to come out as this one lol. Until next time!**_


	38. Chapter 38 - Slate Town Trauma Part 1

_**AN: Hello Everyone. Damn Justy1993! Back at it again with another chapter! Finally, we're hitting the "darker" parts of the story.**_

_**Author Update: I'm actually working now! Working downtown, so its been tiring from the commute. The job has been slow, but I'm doing things fast and it allows me to work on other things as well (namely FFN chapters lol). Another reason why I write chapters at work because at home, I'm playing Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright the entire night (which I just beat)! Breaking from it for this week though before starting Conquest. Other than that, I've been watching this season's anime (ERASED, Grimgar and Myriad Phantom), as well as others (Strike the Blood and Fate/Stay Night UBW).**_

_**Anyways, here's the chapter.**_

**Chapter 38 – Slate Town Trauma Part 1**

"Good evening, and welcome to the Slate Town Pokémon Centre!" Nurse Joy exclaimed happily to the three trainers standing across from her in front of the main reception desk.

"Hi Nurse Joy! Could you please look after our Pokémon?" Aly asked politely. Her and her friends, Justin and Lyra, all extended their hands out, which were holding small, inactivated Pokeballs.

"I'd be glad too." Nurse Joy smiled as she accepted the balls and placed them in a metal tray.

"Oh, and do you happen to provide Pokémon Egg Treatment?" Aly inquired. She then took off her backpack, unzipped it and pulled out the egg incubator.

"Of course we do! I'll take it in."

Nursey Joy also accepted the Egg and placed it with the Pokeballs. She then rang a buzzer from a button on her desk to call out her assistant Pokémon, Chansey, who then took everything to the healing rooms.

"Woah! Your Pokémon Egg was in there?" Justin cried out.

"How'd it even fit in that bag?" Lyra added.

"Weird, right? Well, the writer didn't mention anything about it in the last chapter. Despite the incubator being almost twice the size of my backpack, it's in here is to cover the fact that he forget all about egg." Aly explained.

"Wait, what writer?" Justin

"Never mind. C'mon, I'm hungry!" Aly said excitedly as she walked towards the door on the east side.

Justin and Lyra simply looked at each other in confusion.

* * *

A man in brown robes and a red mask stood in a dark, open room that had a dim spotlight shining down upon him. He appeared to be on one end of a dirt Pokémon battlefield, which was printed on the ground with chalk, arms crossed and breathing anxiously.

"Is there anyone in this damn town that is somewhat powerful?!" He cried out in frustration.

"I know my Pokémon is stronger thanks to the Mock ECM energy boost. But, this is ridiculous! 10 matches and each lasted less than two moves! Do the people here at the Slate Town Battle Dome get ANY good challengers?!" He ranted on further.

Suddenly, a light appeared at the far end of the room. A door was opened, where another person in brown robes showed up.

"Master Hades, I have news to report." The other figure stated.

"Another weak challenger?" Hades scoffed sarcastically.

"No. Our watchers say that Justin Riser and his friends were spotted at the Pokémon Centre."

"Riser?!" Hades was surprised to hear that name, but smirked shortly after.

"Very well. Thank you."

"Sir." The grunt bowed and walked away.

". Knowing him, he'll come here. This is going to be interesting." Hades snickered manically.

* * *

"Oh man! I am stuffed!" Justin exclaimed as he sat back on the bench while rubbing his full stomach.

"I can't believe you had 3 whole servings of the pot pie!" Lyra stated, who sat on his left.

"It was just so good…so full…"

"Hey guys." Aly said as she approached the two trainers. "There are video phone booths up ahead if you want to make some calls."

"Thank Aly. I'll do that." Lyra smiled as she got up from the bench and walked away.

"I should call too." Justin added.

The two trainers walked to the video phone booths, dialed phone numbers on the touch screen, and waited for a signal.

"Man, how long has it been since I've called home." Justin said to himself. A few seconds after, he saw a familiar face on the screen.

"Hi mom! It's me!" Justin exclaimed happily.

"Justin! Oh my gosh, hi! It's been way too long!" His mother exclaimed joyfully.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for not calling as much. But, such is the life of a Pokémon Trainer superstar like myself." Justin bragged as he flicked his hair to the side in dramatic fashion.

"You're still my son, that's for sure!"

"Um, that was a compliment, right?"

"Take it however you want. Everything going well though?"

"Sure is! I currently have five badges now with only have three more left to go! My Pokémon are different too, mainly Eevee evolving into an Espeon. We're working as hard as ever to make the Minero League! I'm still travelling with Aly too, but she's grown during this journey. She's a lot more confident in herself and can handle things on her own now. Yet, she still gives me the support I need to face my battles." Justin explained in detail.

"I'm glad to see everything is good! You really value the friends you've made on this journey." Justin mom deducted.

"That's right. They're my family now, just like you!"

"Let me ask you this Justin. Do you feel that you've grown up on this journey?" Justin mom asked.

"Um…I guess? My Pokémon and I are a heck of a lot stronger now than before! I've made a lot of friends while facing many challenges along the way. My main reason for battling is to have fun, and the goal still remains to make the Minero League. So, I guess I'm still the same person." Justin explained.

"Hm, I see. By the way, your father stopped by the house a couple of days ago. He wanted me to tell you that he'll be in Minero soon, and to get your Poke-Tab number in hopes to meeting up with you then."

Justin looked away from the screen with an annoyed look. "Do I really have to?"

"Justin, don't you think it's time to break the tension between you two?" His mother suggested.

"Why should I? What has he ever done for me, mom? Nothing! He was away from home for lengthy periods of time, leaving us all alone with little regards at all. And then, the guy breaks his promise and left me on the most important day of my life! Don't I have a right to be mad? I have still have you, and a new family here travelling with me. Sorry, but I don't think-"

"You're still the same old Justin." Justin's mother interrupted him.

"What…do you mean?"

"It's just like you to look at things so narrow-mindedly without seeing the big picture. You're being a little immature about this. I know it was wrong of your father to not be there for you when you started your Pokémon journey. You wouldn't believe how bad he felt for that. But, there's a reason why he was away so much. Your father works really hard in order to support all of us. Who gave you all your Pokémon toys when you were little? How were we able to afford the Eruva school and examination fees for you to become a trainer? Where do you think all your funds for your journey are coming from?"

"But…I…"

"They say forgiveness is a virtue, Justin. You'll be able to alleviate the negative feelings affecting you from this."

"Fine! I'll…think of something to say." Justin retorted as he then gave his Poke-tab number.

His mother sighed. "Anyways, you're in Slate Town, yes? Well, there's a place called the Slate Town Battle Dome that your father insisted you try out, since you love Pokémon battles so much. It's basically an event where trainers battle through a number of rounds continuously until they lose."

"Really?! Why didn't you say that sooner! For sure I'll go check that out!" Justin exclaimed excitedly, pulling a complete 180 personality change.

"Good to see your enthusiasm hasn't changed. I have to get going now Justin. Take care of yourself. Say to Aly for me, and please remember our talk." Justin's mom said.

"Yeah…all right. Bye mom."

With that, Justin cut the signal and the monitor screen turned off. He sighed in relief after finishing a pretty serious conversation with his mother. They had just touched on topics that Justin wasn't overly fond of.

"Alleviate negative feelings, eh? I'm feeling just fine though. Life couldn't get any better at this moment. It makes no-"

Justin then looked at the black monitor screen and saw a reflection of Aly's face on it. He turned around quickly, which startled her, and found that she was only a few metres away from him.

"Oh! Um, hi Justin." She said nervously.

"Hey. Uh…how much of that did you hear?" Justin asked.

"Not a whole lot. I wanted to go tell you about the Slate Battle Dome, but saw that you were having a pretty serious talk with your mom. Plus, she mentioned it already."

"Sounds exciting, no?! I'm going to take it on right now!" Justin exclaimed.

"But, it's pretty late now. Do you think it will still be open?" Aly asked.

"Sure it will! Now, let's go get Lyra and head on over to the battle dome!"

Justin marched happily towards the end of the video phone booth row where Lyra was. As he drew near, he suddenly stopped in his tracks upon seeing his friend. She had a troubled expression on her face, as if something was bothering her.

"I'm fine, father. I went through the previous training regimen with no problems. I'll start the next one shortly." Lyra said.

"I'm impressed! The last one certainly was really tough, both physically and mentally. Good to see you're continuing to exceed expectations! But, we are talking about you after all!" A man with brown hair and a well shaven beard said proudly. It appeared to be Skylar, Lyra's dad and the former Minero Region Champion

"Yeah…I'm trying not to let anyone down."

"You better not! It would be a shame if the daughter of a former champion didn't follow in her father's footsteps, now would it! Ha-ha!" Skylar laughed jokingly.

"Heh…no sir…" Lyra replied, letting out a half-hearted laugh.

"Well, I'll let you get back to what you were doing. Train hard and don't let up!"

"Bye father."

Lyra raised her hand and pressed the end call button on the touch screen, cutting the stream on the monitor. She then sighed and looked down towards the ground.

Justin looked on at his friend and took notice to her strange behaviour.

"_Lyra is acting really weird again." _He thought to himself.

Lyra then looked up and saw Justin to her left. She instantly put on a cheerful smile and ran over towards him.

"Sorry for the wait. I was just checking up on home back in Ruby City!" She said

"No problem." Justin replied. _"Nah, maybe it's all in my head. Besides, I got other important things to focus on now, namely the battle dome!" _

"Hey! So, there's a Battle Dome in this town that apparently allows trainers to battle non-stop until they lose. We should totally check it out!" He remarked.

"Sounds like fun! Yeah, let's go!" Lyra replied.

"Hey, don't forget about me!" Aly exclaimed as she walked up to the two trainers.

"Now, we have to decide who will go first. And what better way to do that then play rock, paper scissors!" Justin said.

"That sounds fair." Lyra said.

"You're going down, Lyra. I was a Rock, Paper, Scissors champ back when I was younger!"

"Whatever. I'm not going to lose to you!"

"Rock!"

"Paper!"

"SCISSORS!"

* * *

"Aw man. Aly, I lost…" Lyra whined as she hugged onto Aly while walking down the street.

"It's ok Lyra. There's always next time." Aly smiled while petting her friend's head.

"Never mess with the champ!" Justin remarked happily.

The three trainers had left the Pokémon Centre and began walking towards the Slate Town Battle Dome. It was evening time with the sun just setting below the horizon. Tall lamp posts stationed at the side of the streets began to light up and illuminate the town. While the town looked fairly modern, the cobbled streets and sidewalks gave off a medieval-like feel. Most of the small buildings past along the way were small convenient shops for Pokémon trainers, which were already closed for the night. The district was pretty empty for a normal town, as Justin, Aly and Lyra found themselves as the one of the few people in their area. It wasn't that late for everyone to be asleep, so that reason was thrown out.

"Hm, kind of strange that there aren't a lot of people out here." Justin remarked.

"Maybe they're all eating dinner or something." Aly suggested.

"This isn't a big name town for people here in Minero. The population is pretty small, and the only thing that draws people in is the Battle Dome. I'm sure everyone has already challenged it today and is either resting for the night at the Pokémon Centre, or moved on ahead to the next town." Lyra explained.

"Hey! There it is!" Justin cried out.

The three trainers stopped walking and examined the Battle Dome building that was just across the street. It was a massive, half spherical shaped structure that had grey concrete base with a white upper bowl. There were tons of Pokeball designs and other fighting icons like fists and boxing gloves printed all around the outer walls.

"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go!" Justin called out. The three trainers crossed the street and entered through the sliding doors of the Battle Dome. They found themselves in a large, reception room that had a desk on the left, benches on the right, vending machines at the back, and TV monitors all around the room. Like the town they passed through, no one else was present.

"Maybe they're closed for the day?" Lyra remarked.

"Then why are the doors and lights open?" Aly said.

"Hello! Anyone here?! I'd like to take on the Battle Dome Challenge!" Justin shouted out loud. His voice echoed around the room, showing how large and empty it truly was in there. All of a sudden, a door opened from beside the main desk and out came a man in a black suit and glasses.

"Oh, welcome to the Battle Dome. You're all here to take on the challenge?" The man asked politely.

"Yes sir! I'm Justin Riser from Eruva!" Justin announced.

"I see. Well, follow me this way. Your battle will start immediately." The man gestured towards the doors beside the desk. Justin and the two girls began to walk in that direction before being halted by the man.

"I'm sorry. Only the challenger can go through those doors for battle. You two will have to wait out here." The man stated.

"We can't watch?" Aly remarked.

"There are TV monitors all around the room that will be streaming the matches. I apologize for the inconvenience, but these are the facility rules."

"It'll definitely be different with you guys not there. But, I'm sure I'll be able to handle it!" Justin exclaimed confidently.

"Good luck Justin! We're rooting for you!" Aly cheered.

"Don't be too long. I still need to battle as well." Lyra added.

Justin gave a thumbs up towards his friends before exiting through the doors. He then entered into an even larger room that had very little lighting. The battlefield on the ground was barely visible, but Justin had an idea on where to head towards. He made his way to the closest battlefield side and stood tall and firm, ready to face his first test.

Suddenly, all of the lights in the room turned on. The walls were painted a crimson red colour with sharp yellow outlines streaking across. There were no stands and benches on the sides, meaning the room was only meant for challengers. The other side of the battlefield though had a hole in the ground. Justin looked at this in confusion, wondering if it was meant to be like that, or if there was a problem with the architecture.

"HAHAHA! WELCOME CHALLENGER!" A voice called out through the speakers at the four corners of the room. Someone was speaking to a microphone. Justin looked around the room for a person, but couldn't find anyone. He then noticed something at the far end of the battlefield. A person in brown robes with his face concealed by the shadow of its hood, was slowly rising out of the hole. The figure appeared to be a platform that eventually stopped at the same level as the battlefield.

"Those robes. You're from Team Immortal!" Justin remarked.

"Ah, very astute! Then again, you're no stranger to Team Immortal now are you, Justin Riser!" The figure exclaimed.

"Who the heck are you?"

"Me? Don't you recognize my voice! Well, let me show my face then!"

The person then took off its hood and revealed a scary, red mask with horns at the top. Justin instantly recognized who it was upon seeing that.

"Hades!" Justin stated.

"Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!" Hades laughed hysterically.

"That's it, I'm going to report you to the police now!" Justin said as he began to turn around to leave.

"The doors in this building are all locked, boy! Also, there is no cellular reception either. So, you, nor your friends outside can leave or call for help! You're all my prisoners now!"

"You jerk! Just what are you planning?!"

"We're in the battle dome! So what do you think I want? A battle! Don't you love Pokémon battles?!" Hades cried out maniacally.

"A battle? But why?" Justin asked curiously.

"You know about Team immortal. We're trying to uncover the legendary ECM (Energy Creation Machine) and use its power to better society. We hope to transfer the energy created to people and Pokémon. One of our most intriguing devices is the energy transfer ray, which transfers the energy created in a more efficient and effective way to the subject. With the artificial energy created in the lab, I've transferred it to my Pokémon and decided to test the results against trainers in this Battle Dome. But, none of the brats were able to last more than two moves. I need a real challenge to really test the true power of the transfer. And, what better opponent than the thorn of Team immortal's plans, Justin Riser!" Hades explained thoroughly.

"Nothing good will come out of this, especially if Team immortal is leading the charge!"

"Hahaha! Then why don't you try to stop us! Tell you what, if you win this battle, I'll let you and your friends go free! But, if you lose, you'll all be coming back to Team immortal's base as prisoners while we implement our master plan! Does that give you enough reason to battle?"

Justin thought about the situation he was put in. There really was no way out of it unless he wins the battle. Fortunately for him, Pokémon Battles are one of Justin's specialties and passions. What better way to decide the fate of him and his friends.

"Heh, you're on! This is the kind of challenge I've been waiting for!" Justin shouted confidently.

"Now that's a good boy. Though, your father wouldn't be too happy with you about this." Hades snickered.

"Wait, my father?"

"Whoops! That slipped out unexpectedly. Disregard that comment. It's time to battle!"

Hades then proceeded to taking out a Pokeball from his robes pocket and threw it into the air. It opened and out came a large canine Pokémon that had orange fur with black stripes, and shaggy beige fur all around its head, muzzle and chest.

"RUARGHHH!" The Pokémon roared out loudly.

"That's an Arcanine!" Justin stated.

"Remember, it has been infused with energy we converted from our mock ECM, making it even stronger!"

"That's just so wrong, not to mention unfair for Pokémon battling." Justin exclaimed in disgust.

"Do you really think this is time for you to be complaining about being fair or not? You're fighting for your freedom here. Just shut up and pick your Pokémon already." Hades stated bluntly.

Even though he shouldn't have been, Justin was taken back slightly by Hades' latest remarks. Team Immortal was the enemy, the true evil that could do awful things to Minero if they got their way. Hades was certainly playing the part of the main villain well, perhaps a little too well. Zeus was the true leader of Team Immortal. Yet from Justin's previous encounters with him, he didn't exude the same evil aura as Hades.

Justin shook his head and stopped thinking about the matter. He had a battle to partake in; one where he would play the hero and try to rescue his friends and himself from Team Immortal's threats. The thought of that got him all riled up.

"You want to see my Pokémon, eh? I'll show you that even with your juiced Pokémon; I will defeat you, thanks to the bonds I share with mine!" Justin exclaimed as he pulled out a Pokeball from his belt and tossed it towards the battlefield. It opened up and out came a small, blue mudfish Pokémon.

"Mud-kip!" It cried out.

"Hmm. I'm surprised you didn't send out one of your more powerful Pokémon like Espeon or Combusken. You'll be prisoners of Team Immortal in no time." Hades remarked disappointedly.

"I'll have you know that Mudkip is just as powerful!" Justin barked back defensively. Mudkip echoed its trainer's resentment with a cry of its own.

Hades chuckled. "We'll see. Now, let's get started."

"Mudkip! Start off with your Water Gun attack!" Justin commanded.

Mudkip nodded and proceeded to shooting out a big stream of water from its mouth towards Arcanine.

"Arcanine, show them real power with your Fire Blast." Hades ordered.

"RUAGH!" Arcanine howled loudly as it released a blast of fire in the shape of a person with its arms and legs spread out at Mudkip.

The two attacks collided and pushed against each other briefly before the fire blast easily pushed aside the water attack and headed straight for Mudkip.

"Damn, that's hot! Mudkip, jump up into the air to dodge it!" Justin called out.

Mudkip responded by jumping high into the air to avoid the attack, which whistled by Justin's right. He could tell that Arcanine had some extra juice in it by the intense lingering heat in the air from the Fire Blast.

"Use Extremespeed." Hades ordered quickly.

Arcanine dashed swiftly into the air and slammed into Mudkip, sending it hard into the back wall. The impact was so great that the wall concaved inwards and was littered with cracks.

"Mudkip!" Justin cried out worriedly, turning to his Pokémon. The mud fish Pokémon slid down the wall and fell onto its bottom, looking wary after only one attack.

"Heh heh. Like every other battle before this one, that combo usually leads to me being the winner. Looks like you and your friends are ours now." Hades taunted before letting out a wicked laugh.

"Don't count us out just yet!" Justin yelled back, causing Hades to stop laughing.

"C'mon Mudkip, let's show these cheaters how to not underestimate the power we have from our bond together!"

Mudkip's eyes opened slowly at hearing its trainer's words. The Pokémon then nodded its head and got back up to its feet, fighting through the pain in order to continue.

"That's it buddy!" Justin remarked proudly.

"Interesting. Your Mudkip can still go on even after that. I guess it's not the weakling I thought it was." Hades said mockingly. Justin felt a little aggravated by Hades' insulting tone and took action.

"Mudkip, use Water Pulse!"

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out as it shot out a large, glowing pulse of water.

"Arcanine, use Flare Blitz!" Hades commanded.

Arcanine roared towards the ceiling and shrouded itself in a veil of fire. It then dash forward and started running towards Mudkip and the incoming Water pulse attack.

"You're going head on into that water pulse?!" Justin cried.

"Did you forget that my Pokémon is more powerful than most? This will be nothing for Arcanine!" Hades answered.

Arcanine growled violently as it began to pick up speed. It then ran into the incoming Water Pulse attack, which created a steam cloud upon impact. However, Arcanine appeared out of the cloud instantly, still shrouded in its flame veil while running at the same speed. Justin and Mudkip gasped in disbelief, knowing that they were in for a rough ride.

"Oh crap." Justin muttered.

Just before Arcanine reached Mudkip, Justin picked on something. Near Arcanine's face where the water pulse made contact, the flames around that area weren't burning as strongly as the rest surrounding its body. It seemed as though the water pulse attack from Mudkip did do something.

"Mudkip!" Mudkip cried out in pain as it was hit by Arcanine. The Pokémon was sent flying backwards before landing hard onto the ground.

Justin looked on at his Pokémon in concern. Flare Blitz was an extremely powerful attack, and while it wasn't very effective against water types, Mudkip took the hit pretty hard. Hades started to laugh wickedly.

"Can't you see this is hopeless for you? Your Pokémon can barely stand right now, while mine didn't even get fazed! Just give up right now!"

Justin was surprised, but relieved how Hades missed what happened during the last sequence. From what Justin saw, Arcanine's flame veil from Flare Blitz was clearly affected by Mudkip's Water Pulse. Not by much, but enough for Justin to come up with an idea. Mudkip slowly got up back to its feet, which gave Justin even more relief. Their eyes crossed paths, which Justin then gave a reassuring nod to his partner.

"Are you sure that Arcanine wasn't affected by Water Pulse?" Justin asked leadingly.

"That attack was no match for Flare Blitz. With one more attack like that, I'll win this battle for sure." Hades stated clearly.

"If you're so confident about winning, then why don't you finish us off right now with the same attack?" He remarked.

"Heh. Since you're in such a rush to lose, I will. Arcanine, use Flare Blitz and finish this runt off!"

"RUAGH!" Arcanine roared out viciously as it started to charge towards Mudkip.

"_Bingo." _Justin thought, smiling on the inside.

"Mudkip! Water Pulse!"

The mudfish Pokémon fired out a strong water pulse attack that made its way towards the incoming Arcanine. Both attacks collided and produced the same result. A steam cloud formed where the water attack hit, but Arcanine still kept charging ahead. However, the flames around the fire dog's face area were dimmed as well, just like before.

"All right! Mudkip, use Water Pulse again at the same area!" Justin commanded.

Mudkip nodded and shot out another Water Pulse attack right at Arcanine's face area. Another steam cloud formed upon impact with Arcanine breezing by it, but in a little more discomfort this time.

"Now Mudkip, use another Water Pulse! Follow it from behind this time though!" Justin exclaimed.

Mudkip fired yet another Water Pulse attack and began running behind it as it made its way towards Arcanine.

"What are you planning?!" Hades remarked.

"Just wait and see!" Justin answered back.

The Water Pulse made contact with Arcanine, creating yet another steam cloud upon impact. This time, Arcanine cried a little in pain as it made its way out of the cloud. Both trainers then noticed that the fire Pokémon's face was no longer covered by flames. It was clear as day, and wide open for an attack.

"Impossible!" Hades exclaimed in shock.

"Mudkip! Use Mud Slap right at Arcanine's face!" Justin commanded.

Once Mudkip was close enough to Arcanine, it slid its front right paw on the ground and flicked some moist dirt right at the Fire Pokémon's face. The mud hit right on Arcanine's eyes. Its face cringed as it roared in pain. Arcanine's sight also became impaired, where it began to sway left and right while running and completely missing its target. It continued its path before running into the side wall, which caused the whole building to treble a little. Its Flare Blitz fire veil then extinguished, revealing Arcanine's orange and black fur.

"Now, use Water Pulse again!" Justin commanded.

With the upper hand now, Mudkip unleashed its most powerful Water Pulse attack yet right at the helpless Arcanine. The attack hit, dealing a good amount of damage to the fire Pokémon, who roared out in pain again.

Justin glanced over at Hades. While he wore a mask to cover his face, Justin knew that he must have been feeling some sort of shock.

"How'd you like that?" Justin said with a confident look.

Hades gave no answer. He remained mum while looking back at his Pokémon. Arcanine slowly got back up and walked back to the battlefield.

"As you can see, all my Pokémon are very strong! Sure, I haven't used Mudkip as much as Espeon or Combusken, but that doesn't mean I give it any less attention. I care equally about all of my friends!" Justin explained.

Mudkip then turned around towards its trainer.

"Mudkip was my third Pokémon I caught in Minero at Amethyst Lake. Aly and I argued over who should be the trainer of it, but we were quickly interrupted by a raging Gyrados…which by the way was your guys' fault to begin with! Anyways, my Pokémon and I were about to be attacked by the Gyrados, but Mudkip here jumped in the way and saved our hides. The courage and determination it showed that day made me think 'Wow, what an awesome Pokémon.' Even though I thought our times together were over after that, it wanted to join us. I was very happy, and welcomed it with open arms. Mudkip has become a vital member to my Pokémon Team, just like everyone else I met. They're more than just my Pokémon; they're my friends, my family. So, with all the friends I've made in Minero; Aly, Lyra, and all of our Pokémon, I'm going to make sure we stick together, have fun together, and move forward together like a family."

Mudkip seemed to be really moved by Justin's speech, as a tear started to fall down the side of its face. Justin looked back at his Pokémon, and gave it a big thumbs up. Mudkip wept the tear from its eye, and nodded with a confident look.

All of a sudden, a bright illumination surrounded the Pokémon that caught both Justin and Hades by surprise. Mudkip was evolving.

"Mudkip?" Justin said.

The illumination started to fade away until it was completely gone. In Mudkip's place was an even bigger mudfish Pokémon. Its body was a lighter shade of blue and had an orange belly. There was a black, angular fin coming out of its head, and had 2 orange gills on each end of its cheeks.

"Marsh-tomp!" Marshtomp cried out.

"Hey! You evolved into a Marshtomp!" Justin exclaimed excitedly. Marshtomp looked back at its exuberant trainer and nodded confidently. It seemed as though Marshtomp regained some strength and energy from its evolution.

"You see that Hades?! Mudkip was able to evolve into Marshtomp thanks to our bond and belief in one another. Now, we are going to defeat you and save our friends!" Justin declared.

After a few more moments of silence, Hades slowly began chuckling, which stunned Justin and Marshtomp. It later turned into an evil laugh that echoed throughout the whole arena.

"You really are something, you know that?!" Hades yelled out. "I came to this run-down battle dome in the hope of finding someone who was somewhat competent to challenge me so I can test out our newest experiment. And who is the one the come along? YOU OF ALL PEOPLE! We must be destined to cross paths over and over again!"

"Bud, you need to chill." Justin remarked.

"And your latest speech?! Oh, how touching! We must stick together through thick and thin! We must help each other out and work together if we want to move forward and make change! Teamwork and friendship, fighting for the ones you care about…that's the same kind of softness a certain someone we both know really well displays also!" Hades added, ending on a more aggressive tone.

"Wait, who?!"

"Ha! In time, you'll find out whom! But, just like I will with them, I'm going to show you that the things you value most, is ultimately your greatest weakness!"

Hades then reached for a radio set that was clipped onto his robes, pushed a button, and spoke quietly into the mic underneath his mask.

"Execute order…66." (Star Wars)

* * *

Aly and Lyra sat along the benches in the main reception room, watching the battle between Justin and Hades closely on the TV that was mounted on the wall. Once Justin entered the battle arena of the dome, all of the lights in the main reception cut off, while all the doors locked as well. Only the lone TV on the far left of the reception area worked, which showed Justin ad Hades' battle. Lyra and Aly were on the edge of their seats because of the intense battle that played out between the competitors, and became even more concerned at Hades' recent remarks.

"What do you think he meant by showing Justin what he values most, are his weakness?" Aly asked worriedly.

"I'm not sure Aly. All we can hope is that Justin can handle himself, whatever Hades throws at him." Lyra replied.

"We're counting on you, Justy." Aly said quietly in prayer.

"It just sucks that there is no way that we can help him. We're totally locked in this place with no cellular reception to call anyone."

"It is rather unfortunate. It's almost as if they knew we were all going to show up here. That makes me even more worried."

"Well, I'm not going to be some pawn to them. I'm going to keep looking for a way out!" Lyra exclaimed while standing up from her seat.

"But Lyra! We checked around twice already. I doubt we'll find anything this time." Aly remarked.

"But I feel so useless right now. I'd rather keep trying then just sit here and let Justin do all the work. He's doing his absolute best in that battle trying to save us. I want him to know that we were doing our part too. Like he said, we stick together and move forward together. I'll see to it that his words mean true!" Lyra explained with emotion in her voice.

Aly looked on at her friend, who looked clearly moved and determined.

"Wow Lyra. I didn't realize that Justin can bring out such emotion in you. You must really care about him, don't you?"

Lyra became a little flustered and blushed slightly.

"It's nothing like that! Anyway, you go check near the desk area. I'll go to the windows on the other side." She said before walking away.

"Besides…I think we both know what's going to happen with that anyway." Lyra muttered. Aly didn't say anything back, but heard every word that came out of her mouth. Aly felt a lot of mixed emotions from it, but quickly moved on as she needed to help find a way out.

Aly walked over to the main reception desk in hopes of finding some sort of lead to escaping this prison. All she could find however were typical office stationary and a computer that wouldn't power on. She checked out the door where Justin entered for his battle, but couldn't find any sort of way to enter it.

All of a sudden, Aly heard a few creek noises from the floor and footsteps echo throughout the room. She jolted up from shock and began looking around the dark room, where the TV monitor brightness provided minimal illumination.

"Lyra?..." Aly called out.

Lyra didn't respond. There wasn't enough light to spot her around the room.

Aly started to freak out. A cold chill ran down her spine, as if she knew something bad was about to happen to her like in a horror movie. She walked slowly towards the window area where Lyra went off to.

"Lyra? You there? That's enough kidding around…" Aly called out nervously.

Still, there was no answer.

"Lyra, you there? Ly-"

...

...

..

.

_**To be honest, I had some debates with this chapter about length and content. There is a lot that goes on in this arc that I considered making it 3 parts and cutting of just before the battle for part 1. If you feel strongly that this was a bit much and maybe should have been split earlier, feel free to let me know.**_

_**Part 2 will come within the next 2 weeks. Until then!**_


	39. Chapter 39 - Slate Town Trauma Part 2

_**AN: Hello Everyone. As always, thank you to all the reviewers and PM-ers from the last chapter. Good to know you guys are still here with me on this long journey. As promised, a new chapter has been added only 11 days after the previous one was posted. This is my longest chapter yet (over 7000!). Don't let the high word count turn you off. A lot more happens here, so get ready.**_

_**No author life update this time, since not much has happened since last time. Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 39 – Slate Town Trauma Part 2**

Justin didn't know what to think. Hades, who was still laughing hysterically like a mad man, just gave out a threat that described what he valued most would become his weakness. The tension in the battle arena room was at an all-time high. Justin felt all sorts of emotions that ranged from confusion to anxiousness. He had just got back into the battle, but knew it was far from over. The two Pokémon, Marshtomp and Arcanine, were currently in a stare-down as they tried to intimidate one another. Finally, Hades stopped laughing and stared at Justin.

"Tell me, what was your childhood like?" He asked in a serious tone.

"What? Why should I tell you?" Justin remarked.

"You don't have to. I'm just curious."

Justin thought about it. He didn't really have to divulge on his life growing up, especially to a person like Hades. However, for some reason, he had no problem explaining it now.

"I grew up in the Eruva region, which is known more for businesses and global syndicates than Pokémon. I got introduced to Pokémon at an early age, and instantly fell in love with them. Unfortunately, none of my friends were into Pokémon, and the one person who did share my interest, my father, was never home. He would go away on long business trips, and was always busy when he actually did stop by home. I was pretty upset over this, and it wasn't only because I wanted someone who liked Pokémon to be around. It was more the fact that he seemed so distant from us. It always looked like there were other things more important to him than me and my mom when at home. I felt like we didn't really receive the family love that normal families experienced. So, I learned how to entertain and amuse myself with my Pokémon toys. My mom and I also did many things together, as she tried to help close the void left behind by my father. But no matter how much she tried, there was always a hole in my heart. So, I decided to move on and shut him out. If my father is too busy for me in his life, I don't want him in mine."

It took Hades a few moments to say something.

"It all makes sense now…" He muttered.

"What do you mean?" Justin asked.

"So, the reason why you treasure your friends and Pokémon so much is because you want to give them a sense of belonging, since you never got that from your father. You want to be there for them when they need you. Am I right?"

Justin bit his lip and stayed silent.

Suddenly, and slowly, Hades started laughing again. It was a little more terrifying this time around.

"This just keeps getting more interesting! You're telling me that the number one threat against Team Immortal's plans is just a lonely child with daddy issues?! How pathetic!"

"Shut up!" Justin yelled back.

"It's funny though how you look at things so narrow-mindedly! He was away, he looked like he didn't care, he is the bad guy! Did you ever consider that maybe your father was away all those times for you? That maybe he was distant because of the stress of trying to support your family?! I'm not saying it lets him off the hook, but maybe you could have tried to solve it together as a family, rather than taking the cowardly way out and shut him off so quickly! That's immature! Just proves how much of a child you really are!"

"I said shut it! Why should I have to listen to you?!"

Justin was really angry, but couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty as well. Hades was the second person to tell him about looking at things in a broader perspective. Could he actually be as immature as people said he was? Or was Hades just playing mind games on him. It brought up the conversation with his mother when she asked if he grew up during his journey.

"You're right though. You don't have to listen to me. I'm just telling it how I see it. But, enough of that. I believe there is a battle we must continue." Hades said.

"It's about time." Justin replied, sounding irritated.

"Yes, it's about time I also show what I meant by earlier. Turn around."

Justin raised a brow and turned around. There were 2 gigantic holes in the ground a couple of meters back from him. It was just like before when Justin first entered the battle dome and Hades rose from a platform. The sound of a screechy machine echoed throughout the room, meaning platforms were rising up to the surface. Out of the holes came 2 large metal cages that had a red crystal at the very top and spikes all around the bars. A brown hooded figure stood beside each cage like a guard.

Inside each of the cages was a familiar girl who lay unconscious on the base. Justin's eyes widened from fear and shock.

"ALY! LYRA!" He called out.

Both girls' eyes squinted as they started to awaken from Justin's cry.

"Wha…What's going on?" Aly asked groggily.

"Ughh…my head." Lyra groaned. The two girls stood up and noticed the spikey metal bars enclosing them.

"Wha?! Where are we?!" Lyra cried out in a panic.

Both girls looked forward and noticed their friend a couple of metres away.

"Justin!" Aly exclaimed.

"Are you guys all right?!" Justin called out.

"Um, I think so. But, how did we get here?" Lyra asked while she began to examine the place.

"Don't worry guys, I'm coming to help!"

Justin then started to run over towards them. The two hooded figures beside the cages then stepped in front of the girls and raised their arms out in order to block Justin's path.

"I wouldn't go there if I were you." Hades stated. This caught Justin's attention as he then turned around.

"What do you mean?" He demanded.

"Hahaha! Let's just say they're in for a shock if you get too close! Plus, you'll have to get past my minions first, which I'm sure you've met before!"

The hooded figures then removed their hoods and revealed their identities. The brown, messy hair on the one near Lyra, and the calm and cool expression displayed by the one near Aly were easy giveaways.

"Caius! Raiza!"

"Long time, no see, sucka!" Caius exclaimed.

Aly looked up upon hearing the names and laid eyes on Raiza. His eyes met with hers, but he quickly looked away and disregarded her.

"Out of my way, you two!" Justin shouted.

"Didn't you just hear the boss?! Something bad is going to happen to your friends if you come close! Why don't you try though?! I'm dying to know exactly what that is!" Caius exclaimed.

"Wait, so you guys don't even know what he's going to do?"

"We were just told to guard these cages! C'mon boss! Show us what's in store!"

"I too, would like to know. It's only fair since we are comrades on the same mission." Raiza stated calmly. Everyone then turned their attention to Hades, who once again began laughing wickedly.

"Oh, so you would like to know, eh?! Very well then! Here's a live demonstration!" He cried out. He pulled out a small remote from his robes pocket and pressed the top red button.

All of a sudden, Justin heard screams coming from behind him. He turned around to find there were blue, electrical waves shocking the two girls from inside the cages. Aly and Lyra held tightly onto their bodies as the electrical waves coursed through them. Their screams of pain and anguish rang through Justin's ears as he watched his two friends get electrocuted.

"ALY! LYRA!" Justin called out worriedly.

The electric shock disappeared as Aly and Lyra both fell onto all hands and knees and panted heavily. Their bodies trembled from the frightening experience that had befallen them.

"What….was that..." Lyra stated weakly as she tried to stand back up, but stumbled back onto her butt.

"HAHA! This, my dear, is the second experiment I wanted to test out! I just didn't think I'd have a chance to today, but you fools are the perfect guinea pigs to test on!" Hades exclaimed.

"What do you mean, second experiment?!" Justin cried out.

"Heh. I guess it doesn't matter now that I tell you. It's a secret experiment I devised that even Zeus doesn't know about. Team Immortal has come up with many different inventions over the past few months revolving around the topic of energy. As you've seen before, most experiments have been on Pokémon. But now, we've advanced far enough in our development to conduct experiments on humans. The only test we've registered so far is the transfer of energy into humans. The body can't take a lot of energy in one go, so developing a safer and more efficient way has been Team Immortal's top priority. We also had experiments planned to suck out energy from humans as well. However, after the whole Amethyst Lake incident, Zeus decided to cancel further projects regarding the subject because of the extremely negative effects it had on that Gyrados from Amethyst Lake. I, on the other hand, decided to continue development by myself in secret. And now, here is the invention that does just that! The crystals on those cages drain energy from the subjects in them, which happen to be your friends at the moment! It's still a work in progress, so there might be some complications. But, you know what they say. Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made in order to make progress!" Hades explained.

"YOU'RE INSANE!" Justin yelled in disgust.

"Oooh! Looks like I got you angry! Tell you what, let's raise the stakes even more in this battle! For every minute that you fail to win, I'll shock your friends again and drain even more of their energy! That should give you even more incentive to battle even harder! I still have results to measure with my Arcanine! I'm sure I'll get them now!"

Justin could not believe what he was hearing. It was already wrong that they were using harmful experiments on Pokémon before. But that fact that they were now conducting them on his two friends made his blood boil. He had never been so angry in his life. He was also terrified, thanks to Hades' latest additions to the battle. Justin needed to end the battle as quickly as possible, or Aly and Lyra would suffer even more from the energy draining cages. So many thoughts and emotions flew around in Justin's mind to the point where he couldn't even think straight anymore.

"MARSHTOMP! USE WATER PULSE UNTIL YOU WIN!" Justin commanded rashly.

The impulsive and aggressive command came as a surprise to Marshtomp. But it ultimately obeyed the command and released giant pulses of water from its mouth towards Arcanine.

"Ah! Impulsive, are we?! Arcanine, dodge all of the attacks!" Hades called out.

Arcanine started to run and dodge all of the water pulses that were headed its way. The fire Pokémon dashed left to right, ducked for cover, and jumped up into the air until no more water pulses were incoming. After releasing all the attacks, Marshtomp began panting a little from the water pulse barrage.

"Keep going Marshtomp! More Water Pulses!" Justin commanded.

Marshtomp proceeded to inhaling a deep breath in order to shoot round of water pulses at the enemy.

"Arcanine, use Extremespeed!" Hades commanded.

Arcanine dashed forward quickly like a bullet. It was so fast that it tackled Marshtomp right in its mid-section even before the water Pokémon had the chance to release its Water Pulse attack. Marshtomp was knocked back right into Justin, causing both of them to fall onto the floor pretty hard.

"Now, use Fire Blast!" Hades commanded.

Arcanine roared violently before unleashing its most powerful special fire attack right at Marshtomp and Justin.

"JUSTIN!" Aly and Lyra called out worriedly from the cages.

Marshtomp quickly took action and shot out a water pulse attack towards the Fire Blast. The attacks met and began pushing against each other. However, the Fire Blast eventually pushed through and the Water Pulse evaporated.

Justin then grabbed onto Marshtomp and turned around so his back faced forward, protecting his Pokémon. Even though the Fire blast pushed through, it was weaker because of the Water Pulse extinguished some of its power. The attack finally reached its target and struck Justin right in the back. He yelled out in pain as the flames started to burn through his clothes onto his skin.

"HAHAHAHAHA! How noble of you! Wasn't expecting that, I tell ya!" Hades exclaimed wickedly.

Marshtomp looked up at his trainer, who was still cringing in pain. It yelped out to see if its trainer was all right.

"Don't worry about me, Marshtomp. This won't stop me from beating that fiend." Justin stated as he got back up to his feet.

"But, I'm going to need you to be better as well."

"Marsh!" Marshtomp said with determination in its voice. While it was worried about its trainer, it remembered how Justin protected it from the Fire Blast. That gave it enough conviction to fight by his side.

"All right. Let's go!"

Justin then turned around and faced Hades.

"Still up for more eh? Well, let's pause for a second. Because look at the time?!" Hades remarked.

"Don't tell me…" Justin said while slowly looking behind him.

Just then, he heard shrieks coming from the girls locked in the cage. Their bodies were surrounded in blue, electric shocks as the crystals were draining them of even more energy.

"MAKE IT STOP!" Lyra screeched out.

"IT HURTS!" Aly yelled loudly.

Justin watched from a far as his friends were getting drained of energy yet again. He started to recall of Aly's medical condition and wondered how painful this experience must be for her. There was really nothing Justin could do. If he tried to go and save them, he would have to deal with Raiza and Caius first.  
Even then, who knows what other cheap tricks Hades had up his sleeve? Justin felt helpless, and it made him sick to his stomach.

"THAT'S ENOUGH! STOP IT!" Justin begged as he turned around to face Hades.

"WHAT'S THAT?! I CAN'T HEAR YOU! AHAHA!" Hades cried out like a mad man.

The electric shock continued for another few seconds before it stopped. Aly and Lyra dropped to their knees and fell onto their stomachs; in pain and on the brink of passing out.

"My friends…" Justin said in a shaken tone.

"It will all be over soon, I promise. Once I defeat you, you will have time to spend with them while Team immortal initiates our master plan!" Hades stated.

"…why did they have to get dragged into this? This battle is between you and me."

"Don't you remember? I said that I'd show you how the things you value most, are your greatest weakness as well. You are someone who treasures your friends, probably more than you do your own life. If something were to happen to them, say like right now, it would ultimately lead to your demise! And look at how things have played out thus far! The battle has tilted back in my favour, and I don't see you coming out on top so long as I control your friends! Instead of them giving you support, they're causing your own destruction! "

Justin grunted in frustration and looked back towards his friends. Lyra managed to get back onto her knees, but looked in really bad shape. She gave Justin a weak smile, which broke him on the inside. He then looked at Aly, who was still down and breathing heavily. It was at that moment that Justin made up his mind. He turned back around to face Hades.

"Let's finish this…" He stated.

"Ah! Are you sure you don't want a longer break?! Or better yet, why don't you just give up? I'll free your friends from the cages then." Hades replied mockingly.

"Shut your mouth."

That stunned Hades.

"You have crossed the line. I knew Team Immortal was evil, but I didn't realize that you guys were this sick and cold-hearted. All that talk about helping the world with the ECM and moving towards a better future; I can now see all of that was nonsense. You're all downright evil, and I'm going to be the one who rids you from this world! I use to participate in Pokémon battles for fun. But now, I'm doing them in order to take you guys down and avenge my friends!" Justin announced in an aggressive tone. "It's payback time!"

Hades chuckled a little.

"Well now. This is a side of you that I've never seen before. It's about to get even more interesting…"

* * *

"DID YOU SEE THAT RAIZA! WOW! Now that was a shocker!" Caius exclaimed.

Raiza remained silent with a troubled expression on his face. Caius took notice to this and became confused.

"Um, earth to Raiza. What's gotten into you man? You've been quiet with that goofy look on your face for quite some time."

"Is this really right to do?" Raiza asked unsurely.

"Wait, what?!" Caius remarked.

"I just don't agree with Master Hades' methods. He was only supposed to test Arcanine's strength in battle. Did he really have to go and kidnap the kid's friends and put them through this kind of torture? A battle should be enough. And why should we even concern ourselves with draining energy from living things anymore? Zeus dropped that subject way back after the Amethyst Lake incident. This shouldn't even be happening, let alone conducted on people."

"I don't really care about all of that. I'm just amazed with Master Hades! He's so in control of the situation and looks like a total boss! Man, I wish I was like him." Caius exclaimed excitedly.

"Is that really all you care about?!" Raiza scolded.

"Dude, what is with you?! You sound like a goody-two shoes. You're killing the evil vibe here!"

"But…we're not really supposed to be an evil organization. We're supposed to be the ones who will help make the world a much better place for everyone."

"Yes, but c'mon Raiza, open your eyes! Think of all the missions we've been a part of. The police have wanted our hides every single time. We've broken into a Pokémon Centre to steal information, locked employees up in a cell below their workplace, and now we're torturing the brats over here by draining their energy. Does that scream righteousness to you? That silly goal of helping people in the end may be the ultimate objective, but the methods used to get there are pretty evil." Caius explained.

Raiza felt lost and confused at the moment, and didn't know why. He knew full well the moral implications of the missions he participated in, and it didn't bother him then. Everything that Caius just said was the truth. In order for Team immortal to achieve its objective, it had gotten its hands dirty with the law plenty of times.

Raiza looked down at Aly, who was still lying flat on of her stomach from the last attack. The weak and fragile girl, who looked as though she'd pass out any second, made Raiza's heart drop.

"_For some reason…I feel like I have to stop this."_

* * *

"Aly. Are you ok?" Lyra asked weakly as she gripped onto her left arm.

"I'll…I'll be all…right…" Aly replied with long pauses in between her words as she struggled to get up to her knees.

"It seems like we got ourselves into trouble."

"Yep…sure does. Never…a dull moment, that's for sure."

Aly chuckled softly after her comment, but it failed to lighten to mood for Lyra. She looked down at the cage's base with a sad expression

"Do you think it's my fault we got captured? If only we stuck together, maybe we could have avoided getting taken and fought back. And I don't even have my Pokémon with me, after I wanted to challenge the Battle Dome after Justin. I'm so stupid! I'm sorry Aly." She said.

"Lyra…you can't be serious." Aly remarked as she finally got up to her knees.

"But-"

"Forgetting your Pokémon aside, I'm not going to blame you for trying to help out your friends. I know Justin would feel the same way. So don't worry about it, ok?"

"Aly…"

"Ahhh, quit your mushy, sweet talk, why don't ya!" Caius remarked rudely as he kicked against a non-spikey part of Lyra's cage.

"Buzz off, you lunatic!" Lyra shot back.

"Girly, do you want me to make Master Hades drain even more of your energy?! Then I suggest you remain quiet!" Caius demanded as he towered over Lyra. Knowing that she was exhausted and trapped, she obeyed his orders and kept quiet. She hugged her knees close to her chest and looked at the ground with a solemn expression. Caius then backed away and walked closer towards the battlefield to watch Justin and Hades.

"_She must really be frightened. I've never seen Lyra like this before." _Aly thought to herself.

"Hey…" a whisper spoke from Aly's right. She turned in that direction and say Raiza up close.

"Um, hello." She said nervously.

"If my master decides to use his cages again, I'll do something about it." Raiza said.

Aly raised a brow upon hearing that.

"What do you mean…you'll do something about it?" She asked.

"You'll see."

"Um, ok. Thank you…Raiza." Aly smiled.

"Don't. I haven't done anything yet." He responded.

"I know, but still. Can I ask you a question though?"

"Yes?"

"Is it okay for you to be helping us?"

Raiza looked down at the ground and thought for a moment.

"Right now, I feel so lost and confused. I don't know what to believe anymore. But helping you…it just feels like the right thing to do now."

* * *

Justin and Hades were currently in a stare down. Marshtomp and Arcanine, who were both looking very tired, continued to growl at each other while they waited for their trainer's orders.

"Are you going to make a move already?" Hades remarked.

"Fine. Marshtomp, water pulse." Justin commanded in an imposing manner.

Justin's voice surprised Marshtomp as it turned back at its trainer. It looked into Justin's eyes and saw rage and anger within them. It was almost like Marshtomp was looking at a different person.

"C'mon! Let's go!"

Marshtomp was startled from the aggressive tone of Justin, and quickly preceded to releasing a huge pulse of water from its mouth towards Arcanine.

"Arcanine! Overpower that pathetic attack with Fire blast!" Hades ordered.

"RUARGH!" Arcanine roared as it shot out a star shaped blast of fire from its mouth. Both attacks met and pushed against each other, but this time it was the Water Pulse that broke through at made its way to Arcanine.

"Now, which attack is pathetic again?!" Justin called out. Arcanine was then hit by the water attack and cried out loudly in pain.

"Hm, well that didn't go as planned." Hades remarked calmly.

"The battle is now turning in my favour." Justin stated.

"Oh please. Arcanine, use Outrage!"

Arcanine suddenly became really angry and had yellow sparks circulating around its body. It then dashed forward and began running after Marshtomp.

"Marshtomp, use take down." Justin commanded.

Marshtomp dashed forward as well towards the incoming Arcanine. It didn't take long before both Pokémon collided head on. However, it was Arcanine that proved to be stronger as it knocked Marshtomp backwards and onto the ground near Justin.

"What was that about the battle turning in your favour? Looks different to me!" Hades exclaimed.

"Hmph, we'll just see about that." Justin smirked. Marshtomp slowly got up while rubbing its head to ease its pain.

"Your confidence is annoying. Get him about Arcanine!"

Arcanine roared loudly in the air, and then began charging at Marshtomp once again.

"Mudshot at its feet." Justin commanded.

Marshtomp then fired soft pellets of mud right at Arcanine's paws. The mud was soft enough to stick to the ground and the fire Pokémon's paws, causing it to trip and stumble hard onto the ground.

"Now, take down again." Justin ordered.

"Marsh!" Marshtomp cried out as it began charging right after Arcanine.

"Interesting attack. Why not just Water Pulse for the super effective?" Hades asked.

"I don't expect a maniac like you to get what I'm going for." Justin replied in a condescending manner.

"Whew, you are different, aren't you?! Arcanine, use Fire Blast!"

Arcanine lifted its head up and shot its fire attack at the incoming Marshtomp.

"Let it hit you and push through it, Marshtomp!" Justin ordered.

Everyone in the arena, including Marshtomp was surprised about Justin's recent command. Still, the water Pokémon nodded and followed through by running in the Fire Blast attack.

The Fire Blast consumed Marshtomp, who was cringing in pain from being burned by the flames. Its speed heavily dropped to the point where it was barely walking towards Arcanine.

"AHAHA! You must want to lose! You may have double type advantage, but Arcanine's fire attacks are powerful enough to deal heavy damage!" Hades exclaimed.

"C'mon Marshtomp! You're strong enough to handle this!" Justin called out

While it may not have been the friendliest encouragement, it was enough for Marshtomp find its drive to prove its trainer right. It began to pick up speed and made a full tackle into Arcanine, sending it backwards a few feet.

"Told you." Justin said to his Pokémon.

Marshtomp nodded and acknowledged its trainer's words, but grimaced after from the Fire Blast. Arcanine slowly got back up to its feet. Both Pokémon were panting heavily and on the brink of fainting.

"The end is near it seems!" Hades stated dramatically.

"Yeah, for you that is." Justin remarked.

"How can you be that sure, boy?!"

"Just look."

Hades looked in front of him and noticed something about Marshtomp. The water Pokémon was now glowing red and had steam breathing out of its body.

"What in the…" Hades remarked.

"Marshtomp's ability, Torrent, has been activated. Its water attacks are now stronger. This was my plan for a while now, but I needed Marshtomp to sustain a lot of damage in order to activate it. And now that it's here, I can finish you off with one more attack!" Justin explained.

Aly and Lyra looked on from the cages, confused and surprised about Justin's battling tactics.

"So all of that before, was just so that Marshtomp can have its ability activated?" Aly said.

"That really doesn't seem like Justin's style." Lyra added.

"Well now, who knew you were so ruthless?!" Hades exclaimed, sounding somewhat impressed.

"In order to save my friends, I'll do what I must. I'm sure my Pokémon feel the exact same way. "Justin replied with conviction. He then looked at Marshtomp, who looked into his trainer's eyes again. Despite the character change, Marshtomp felt that Justin was trying to do the right thing and ignored any doubt it had.

"Now, let's finish this. Marshtomp, use Take Down in a Water Pulse attack!"

Marshtomp knew exactly what to do. It released a massive pulse of water out of its mouth, and followed it in from behind before entering it. The Water Pulse had become an active shield for the charging water Pokémon.

"Last move eh? Arcanine, use Flare Blitz!" Hades commanded.

Arcanine shrouded itself in a veil of flames and charged ahead. Both Pokémon collided into one another, which set off a massive smoke explosion that blanketed the entire Battle Dome arena. Everyone in the room covered their faces from the smoke with their arms. The impact of both attacks also created a harsh wind that blew around as well.

"Hahaha! What power!" Hades exclaimed happily.

The harsh winds calmed and the smoke began to dissipate. The room became clear once again. Marshtomp was on knee, panting heavily and all covered in scratches. Arcanine, however, was lying flat on the ground in the middle of the battlefield and unable to battle anymore.

"Looks like I wi-"

Before Justin could finish his victory statement, Marshtomp collapsed to the ground. It too, had enough and fainted, resulting in a draw.

"HAHAHAHA! A draw it is!" Hades remarked while laughing maniacally.

Aly, Lyra, Caius and Raiza each had stunned expressions on their face. Finally, the battle was over.

"It's…a draw." Aly remarked.

"Thank god it's over…" Lyra sighed.

"Damn….how did that kid knock out Arcanine. He shouldn't have with the energy boost it got. Just who the hell is this guy?!" Caius spat out.

Justin walked up to Marshtomp and leaned it against his arms.

"Thank you….Marshtomp. It seems we'll need to train more, but you'll become stronger." He said before returning it back its Pokeball. Justin got back to his feet and looked at Hades, who had just returned his Arcanine back to its ball.

"You didn't win, so we're not your prisoners. It's time to release us!"

"Hm, well I can't argue with that. The battle ended in a draw, so your lives are spared from being our prisoners. But before you leave, let me just thank you personally for being my lab rats! This was such a good time for me, and I got all the research results I needed! Who knew work could be so much fun!" Hades exclaimed as he began laughing.

Justin clenched his fists and started to get angry.

"Screw you!" He shouted, which silenced Hades.

"How can you just laugh this off as a good time?! My friends and I just came here tonight for a fun Battle Dome challenge. Yet, it turned out to be a night of pain, torture, and suffering! A night that my friends or I never want to experience again! And you call this experience a good time?! You're pure evil, you know that?! A selfish jerk who enjoys watching other people suffer! This is why I will never accept the fact that Team Immortal is doing something for the greater good! I swear, I will take you your whole organization down until it is no more!"

Underneath his mask, Hades was getting really irritated.

"You're just a kid! You can't do anything! Team Immortal's real intentions will be revealed soon, but I you've annoyed me for far too long! And now, what better way to punish you than drain ALL of your friend's energy this time!" Hades bellowed in anger.

"NOO! I won't let you!" Justin yelled back as he started charging towards Hades.

"Caius!" Hades quickly shouted.

All of a sudden, Justin was tackled down and pinned to the ground hard. He looked up and found Caius pushing against his back and arms.

"LET ME GO!" Justin roared as he desperately tried to scramble free.

"You're not going anywhere!" Caius stated as he applied more force downwards.

"Get ready to possibly say goodbye to your friends forever!" Hades announced as he pulled out the cage's trigger.

"Please, don't do this!" Aly called out helplessly.

"Stop!" Lyra cried.

"Too late! Say goodbye!" Hades yelled.

"NOOO!" Justin screamed at the top of his lungs.

Hades then proceeded to moving his thumb down towards the button on the remote trigger.

Everything then went in slow motion for Justin. All the memories of Aly, Lyra and his Pokémon having a good time started to flash through his mind. Who knows what will happen to Lyra and Aly after this brutal attack. Would things ever be the same?

….

….

….

….

….

"Air Slash."

All of a sudden, a sharp, glowing wind strike came out of nowhere and sliced the remote trigger in half and out of Hades' hand.

"What the hell?" Hades remarked in confusion.

Justin and Caius looked around the room to see where the attack came from. They then heard the sound of slicing metal come from behind them. It was Raiza with his Pidgeotto, who used Air Slash to cut through the metal bars on the cages to set Aly and Lyra free.

"RAIZA! What are you doing?!" Caius called out angrily.

"You...you set them free." Justin said, sounding astonished.

Raiza walked into Aly's cage and helped her get onto her feet while putting her arm around his neck for support. Lyra managed to stand on her own, but Raiza looked on just to make sure.

"Idiot! I'll stop you!" Caius yelled as he got up from pinning Justin to charge at his comrade.

"Pidgeotto, Air Slash!" Raiza commanded. Pidgeotto flapped its wings and shot more glowing, air strikes at Caius, which caused him to be sent backwards onto the floor.

Justin quickly got up and ran towards his friends. He first went to Raiza, who transferred Aly's arm onto his neck for Justin to hold.

"I got you now. You ok?" Justin asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine. Thanks Justy." Aly replied. Justin smiled, and then turned his head to face Lyra.

"How about you?"

"I'm all right. A little tired, but I should be good." Lyra replied. She stumbled while walking over, but Justin quickly caught her hand.

"Well, just in case, hold on tight until we get out. Ok?" He said.

Lyra looked at her hand being held by Justin and turned a little red. She then looked at him and smiled sincerely for his kind gesture.

"Get them medical help quickly." Raiza stated. "I've unlocked all the doors, so you should be able to get out."

Justin nodded and started to walk towards the exit with his friends.

"You're a strange one Raiza. But thank you." He said while passing by the helpful grunt, who didn't reply back. Justin then stopped briefly to look behind at Hades, who was surprisingly quiet and passive about them leaving.

"You're not going to try and stop us?" Justin called out.

"I have no reason to keep you any longer." Hades stated clearly.

"…Well, we're leaving then."

"You going to tell the police about this? The news?"

Justin didn't respond at first, as he thought about that notion. Both girls looked at him with intrigue, before he finally came up with what to say.

"No. This incident here is only between us." Justin said calmly.

"Oh?" Hades remarked.

"Yes. Like I said, I want to be the one who takes Team Immortal down…"

With that, the three trainers slowly walked out of the battle dome arena. Raiza then turned around and walked over to Hades and Caius, who had an angry expression on his face.

"Raiza, would you care to explain you actions just now?" Hades asked.

"Master Hades, I believe that this course of action was not right. This is something that Master Zeus would never approve of. The only objective we were told to fulfill was testing Arcanine's power levels in battle after receiving energy from the Mock ECM. Yet, you caused such trauma and despair for those kids by putting them through hell. You took human experimentation to a whole new level that was just sickening. While you did achieve your goal of getting good test results for your Pokémon, I heavily disagree with the way this whole mission was conducted!" Raiza explained.

"You moron! I told you that Te-"Caius shouted before Hades used his hand to calm him down.

"It's ok Caius. Let him say what's on his mind. But now that he has, what do you plan to do? Do you plan to report me to Zeus? "

Raiza bit his lip and stayed quiet.

"Ah, so you do eh? I can see it in your eyes. Well, go right ahead if you truly believe that's what's right. But, just know that doing that might be the worst decision of your life." Hades stated in a threatening tone.

"What do you mean?" Raiza said.

"Let's just say that you'll experience a heavy loss if you go tell Zeus. Ahhh, Goldenrod City's hospital…it would be a shame if something bad were to happen to it. Especially if a certain someone were to get caught up that mess, now wouldn't it?"

Raiza's eyes widened from shock. It was as if his worst fears had come true. Still, he kept quiet.

"Now, are you still going to tell Zeus about today's events?" Hades asked.

"…..no sir." Raiza muttered reluctantly.

"I see. Well, I'm glad we could come to an agreement." Hades then patted Raiza on the head, which strongly irritated the Team immortal grunt.

"As of today, you are suspended indefinitely from further Team immortal Operations for insubordination. You will report to the Team Immortal Discipline Hanger and await instructions there. Understood soldier?" Hades stated as he pushed Raiza forcefully down to the ground.

"…yes sir." Raiza replied as he swallowed his pride and not retaliated. Hades then walked towards the exit. Caius followed in behind, but stopped briefly in front of Raiza.

"How disappointing. You are no longer a partner of mine." Caius remarked before heading off towards the exit as well.

Raiza looked down at the ground, collected his thoughts and sighed heavily.

* * *

"There we go! The bandage has been all wrapped around your back." A nurse exclaimed.

Justin sat up from the doctor's bench and put back on his shirt. He could feel the little cooling effect the bandage had on his back to ease the burn pain from Arcanine.

"_What a mess tonight was…" _ He thought to himself with a grim look on his face.

After he and his friends left the Battle Dome, they instantly went to the Slate Town Hospital to get treated. Justin used running into a dangerous wild Pokémon as an excuse for their injuries, as he didn't want to reveal what truly happened.

"Are…you ok? Does it hurt too much?" The nurse asked concernedly.

"No, I'm fine. Where are my friends?"

"They're recovering in the other room. Would you like to see them?"

"Yes please."

With that, Justin followed behind the nurse out of this room. They walked down the hall past a couple of other rooms before entering a much bigger room with 2 beds in it. One each was his friends, both lying down with the top half of the bed angle up and an IV line inserted into their arm. Both of them seemed to be much better than before.

"Justin!" they both cried out happily. Justin walked up in between their two beds.

"How are you guys doing?" He asked worriedly.

"We're much better now. All we really needed was some rest and sugared foods to recover the energy taken away from us." Lyra explained.

"That's good. I'm glad to hear."

Justin then turned towards Aly, who looked up at him.

"What about you?" He asked further.

"Lyra said it all. Surprisingly, I didn't take that much of a hit from those shocks. This condition really is a mystery. But, I'm fine." Aly said sincerely.

"I'm so relieved...but I don't deserve your gratitude." Justin replied.

"What are you talking about?"

"I should have gotten you guys out of those cages quicker. Seeing you both suffer from those shocks was absolutely heartbreaking. And you had to go through such suffering because I was too weak. In the end, it was Raiza who saved you both, and I couldn't do a damn thing! You both could have been really hurt, especially you Aly. I let you down…"

"It wasn't your fault Justin. The situation couldn't be helped. You did all that you could." Lyra mentioned.

"We should be thanking you for battling so hard through unfair circumstances and giving it your all to set us free. In the end, it all ended well. So don't blame yourself, ok Justin?" Aly added.

Justin started to break down in tears. Despite his inability to save them entirely, Aly and Lyra were understanding and supportive. These girls are true friends, he thought to himself.

Justin wiped away the tears and walked up to Aly. He held her hands and rested his head on top of them, causing Aly to turn a little red.

"I promise you Aly. I will get stronger. Strong enough to live up to your mother's request and protect you from anything bad that may happen. I promise." He said seriously.

Aly's heart began to beat really fast. She couldn't take in all the (good) things that were happening to her at that moment. She then smiled began stroking his hair.

"Thank you, Justy."

Aly then caught a glimpse of Lyra, who was looking on at them. Lyra quickly looked away to pretend she wasn't looking, but the sorrowful smile on her face didn't help her case. Aly instantly felt bad and looked downwards with a sad expression.

"And don't think I forgot about you Lyra." Justin remarked. Both girls then looked at him, which he then turned around to face Lyra.

"I'm also going to get stronger to protect you from danger as well. Even though you travel with us a lot, you're still a good friend to me. I'm going to protect everyone I care about, my Pokémon included. I will get stronger. Just wait and see."

Lyra became a little happier upon hearing that, and gave him a smile.

All of a sudden, the TV monitor mounted against the wall turned on to what looked like the news. The woman reporter was near the Slate Town Battle Dome.

"We're back with updates on the situation here at Slate Town's Battle Dome. The workers here were found in the facility's basement all tied up and blindfolded. They say that the attack happened so quickly that they were unable to identify the suspects. Police are continuing their investigation." She reported.

Justin started to get really angry and gripped Aly's hand a little more tightly.

"I swear to you Hades. You're going to regret the day you ever decided to pull that twisted stunt on us. I will be the one who tears down your entire organization. Mark my words…"

**_No imminent release date for the next chapter, but is currently being worked on (writing that is, plot already planned). As always, feedback is appreciated. Until next time!_**


	40. Chapter 40 - Life's Potential

_**AN: Hello there. It's been a while, now hasn't it? Sorry for the long delay. I don't have time to write this story at work anymore (not that I should have been doing so in the first place anyway lol). But, I finally got off my lazy butt and finished this chapter. It's definitely a lot more toned and calm unlike the last chapter.**_

_**Life update: 2 months since the last chapter, and a bunch of things have changed. I've moved into another position at work, meaning more time actually working and less time story writing lol. It's spring now, so the nicer weather is a welcome change (about time Canada). Currently, Bravely Default is my game right now, and it's decent but tons of grinding. I'm playing softball in a league now, which has been fun but I'm no Josh Donaldson or Jose Bautista. Really though, I just feel so tired all the time...but who doesn't?**_

**Chapter 40 – Life's Potential**

Aly and Lyra finished their lunch and were now relaxing on their table cloth in the middle of an open plain of grass on Route 407. The skies were cloudy and gray, which was a rare occurrence because of the constant sunny days they had experienced most of the time.

The air was warm and humid, most likely due to the increasing number of marshes and ponds the group seemed to be running into. Lyra mentioned earlier that this area was known as the Minero wetlands, which definitely seemed fitting given the current environment and all of its…wetness.

The two girls looked on as various grass and water Pokémon were performing their daily lives or interacting with others while having fun.

"They're lives seem so simple and peaceful. Nowhere near what we've been through recently." Lyra sighed.

"I hear ya." Aly replied as she wiped down her Pokémon Egg with a warm, wet cloth.

"Sometimes, I wish I could trade places with them. Imagine living that kind of life; free of pressures, expectations and demands of the world. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"I'm pretty sure they go through their share of hardships too once in a while. But, do you really mean that Lyra? You wouldn't be able to achieve your goal of becoming the Minero League Champion and following in your father's footsteps." Aly exclaimed, turning to face her friend.

Lyra looked up into the sky with a sombre look on her face.

"Right…can't let everyone down now, can we?" She muttered.

"_Did what happened in Slate Town really affect her?" _Aly thought to herself as she looked on worriedly.

It had been three days since the dreaded Team immortal incident. Aly, Lyra and Justin were recommended to stay at the hospital for two extra days in order to recover more, both physically and mentally. Aly and Lyra rested for the most part and tried to take it easy. The memories of the pain and trauma caused by Hades still lingered in the back of their minds. Justin, on the other hand, used that experience as motivation and would often sneak out to train with his Pokémon in the Hospital courtyard, much to the doctors' disapproval. Whether it was early in the morning or late at night; he wold train, train, and train even more. Normally, this behaviour wouldn't have really surprised anyone. But, there was something about Justin that was noticeable to Aly and Lyra.

He exuded a more serious persona than what he normally would be like. His enthusiasm and zeal had diminished where the only thing driving him was to get stronger, rather than his usual motto of having fun.

Lyra and Aly then observed Justin from a distance, where he was training in another open plain of grass and dirt. He currently had Espeon, Gible and Combusken out; perfecting various techniques and tactics for almost the entire lunch break.

"Don't you think he's going a little overboard?" Lyra mentioned.

"It's hard to say. I mean, he's doing this because he vowed to get stronger in order to protect us. Hearing him say that made me really happy, so I don't want to stop him. However, he's changed a little since making that vow. I don't want him to become a different person because of it." Aly explained.

"You're right. He can't lose sight on who he is." Lyra added.

"_Not that I'm one to talk." _She thought to herself after.

"Well, let's watch over him for the time being. But for now, we should get a move on." Aly suggested.

"Yeah, ok!"

The girls packed all their supplies back into their bags, and started to head over to where Justin was. As they approached closer, they noticed the intensity and focus was amped up in this training session.

"Hey Justin! What do you say we start heading out now?" Lyra said cheerfully, adding a soft laugh at the end.

Justin then turned around and had a really serious expression on his face.

"Um, if you're busy, I guess we can wait a little longer if you want." Aly said nervously, holding her Pokémon Egg incubator a little tighter.

"No, I can end it now if you both want to go." Justin replied. He then turned back towards his Pokémon, who were panting and sweating from the training session.

"We'll continue this later…" He stated before returning all of them back to their balls.

After that, Justin picked up his bag off the floor and walked up to the girls.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Yep! Let's go!" Lyra exclaimed.

All of a sudden, a bright light began to illuminate from Aly's Pokémon Egg in her arms.

"Aly! Your Pokémon Egg is about to hatch!" Lyra exclaimed excitedly.

Aly quickly picked out the egg from the glass container and held in in her arms. The egg shaped illumination began to change in Aly's arm, becoming smaller and rounder by the second. After a few moments, the illumination disappeared and the new Pokémon was revealed. It was a small, round pink Pokémon with an egg inside a pouch on its belly.

"AW! It's so cute!" Lyra exclaimed.

"A Happiny!" Aly added.

Happiny began looking around aimlessly while waving its tiny arms around, which drew squeals from the girls. Aly began to massage its egg pouch belly, which got a pleasing reaction from the baby Pokémon as it grabbed onto Aly's hand and embraced it.

"It's the pre-evolved form of Chansey, who is also the partner of Nurse Joy. I must say, it's pretty fitting that this be the Pokémon to hatch out of your egg. Congrats Aly. I know it's in good hands with you." Justin said.

He gave off a smile for the first time in a while.

An even bigger smile strung across Aly's face from her friend's comments. His personality may be slightly changing, but the love and care he has for his friends remained the same.

"Wow! Incredible!" A voice exclaimed in amazement while applauding. It came from the right of the three trainers, who looked that way and found a tall man with red hair and wearing a white lab coat.

"Um, hello there. I'm guessing you witnessed the hatching too?" Aly asked.

"I sure did! Sorry I intruded if it was meant to be a private moment. I was just around the area when I saw this magnificent sight."

The man then walked over towards the group and observed Happiny in Aly's arms.

"Hmmm. It looks like your Happiny is quite healthy for a new-born. If only people in the lab could have seen this."

He then leaned in closer towards the baby Pokémon, where it got frightened from the towering stranger looking upon it and it started to cry. It startled the man also as he pulled back with a guilty look on his face.

"There, there. You must be hungry!" Aly said as she got some prepared baby formula in a sucker bottle while rocking Happiny in her arms. She then began feeding the baby Pokémon, who settled down after that.

"You already have food prepared for it?" The man asked.

"Of course! I've been preparing for this day. It's a general, spoil free formula for baby Pokémon. However, since I know the Pokémon type now, I have all the necessary ingredients to suit Happiny's needs for a healthy growth." Aly explained.

"Amazing! If you're that prepared, I'm sure it's going to be a real healthy Pokémon."

"You mentioned people from the lab before. Are you a researcher?" Lyra asked.

"Oh yes! Let me introduce myself! My name is Gary, and I'm a researcher at a lab on this route that studies the growth of Pokémon. Based on multiple factors and variables, we are trying to determine and project the overall growth path of Pokémon in terms of strength, health, and growth potential." The man explained.

"Wow! That's really neat!"

`Are there specific types of Pokémon that are tested?" Justin asked.

"Well, newly-born and young Pokémon are the more used subjects since they don't have any development at all." Gary answered.

"Aly, your Happiny fits the bill!" Lyra exclaimed.

"Tell you what. Aly, right? For witnessing the brilliant sight of your egg hatching, why don't you and your friends come visit our lab? Where I'll give you all the grand tour! And if you want, we can do a trial run on your Happiny there." Gary explained to Aly.

"Hm, yeah! I think that will be kind of cool." Aly said while massaging Happiny's head. She turned to face Justin. "What do you think, Justin?"

"Sure, go for it. I, too, am interested in this type of work." He said.

"Excellent! The lab is not that far down from here. Follow me!" Gary exclaimed.

Gary and the group of trainers walked for about 10 minutes until they reached a ginormous, state of the art lab facility that happened to be in the middle of nowhere (like every other lab they've encountered…) on Route 407. It was about 10 stories high with glass panels as the outer walls. There were several other, smaller buildings surrounding the big lab facility, presumably for supplies or R&amp;D warehouses. Security was tight, as the facility was surrounded by a tall, metal fence while having a front gate for the entrance.

"There with me." Gary said as he showed his pass the watch guard at the gate. They were deemed ok and allowed through the gate. Happiny got scared of the watch guard and began to cry.

"It's ok, it's ok. How about a nice, little massage?" Aly said calmly as she started to rub Happiny's egg pouch with one of her hands. The baby Pokémon slowly settled down, and eventually began giggling playfully.

"You sure are good with Pokémon, Aly." Gary mentioned.

"Thank you. I'm hoping to pursue a dream of helping Pokémon in need." Aly replied.

"Is that so?! Then this lab here might interest you."

The group walked through the automatic sliding front doors and into the facility. It was just as fancy on the inside as it was out. A plethora of large equipment and advanced gadgets filled most of the space available in the room. There were about 20 other lab associates on this floor, working at the various stations. Everyone that the group passed was super friendly as they by greeted Chris and welcomed the trainers to the lab.

"Wow! Everything looks super sophisticated in here!" Lyra exclaimed.

"We recently got a new grant that allowed us to spruce the place, and our equipment up." Gary mentioned.

"So, how exactly does your centre operate?" Aly asked curiously.

"So far for our research centre, we focus on the internal structure and genetics of the Pokémon in particular. The technology we now have allows us to look deeper into the Pokémon at a "micro-micro" level, where it shows the activity of its whole internal system. From observing those results, we then make scientific calculated projections on how newborn Pokémon will grow and develop over their lifespan during a normal life."

"Are there any other factors that could make a Pokémon non-viable for testing?"

"Trainer owned Pokémon is an area that we still are working on, since every trainer cares for their own Pokémon differently and charters the Pokémon's growth plan. That's where you enter a whole new realm for testing and discussions." Gary answered.

"I would say going into that area would be even more difficult, almost impossible. Because then, you would observe more things such as the Pokémon's type, personality of both trainer and Pokémon, diet, and other factors, right?" Aly mentioned.

"Exactly right. No one can predict the future. A newly born wild Pokémon can get caught up in a life altering experience that would make its development differ from our calculations. With trainer Pokémon, it all depends on the trainer's way of handling the Pokémon. That's why we're sticking with simple variables now."

The group had just entered into a smaller lab room that had a table in the center with scanner machines hanging above it from the ceiling. Two other researchers were present in the room, working on the mega computers on the left.

"Jack! Jill! We have some visitors!" Gary called out. The two scientists, a tall man with slicked back red hair, and a woman with long brown hair and glasses, responded to Gary's call and walked over to the group.

"Ah, welcome to our lab. I'm Jack, assistant for Gary." The man stated politely.

"I'm Jill, the other assistant for Gary. Welcome." The woman added.

The three trainers introduced themselves respectively.

"When I came across these trainers, the Happiny you see being carried in Aly's arms had just hatched from its Egg. And now, she's graciously volunteered her newly born Pokémon to help with our research!" Gary announced.

"That's wonderful! I wish I was there to see it!" Jill exclaimed.

"Your Pokémon looks very healthy. Thank you for allowing us to run our tests." Jack said.

"Oh, it's no problem." Aly replied.

"Well, without further ado. Let's start! Aly, please place Happiny on the centre table. You could stand by it to give it comfort during the test." Gary explained.

Aly nodded and walked over to the centre of the table and placed Happiny on it. Happiny got a little scared and started reaching for Aly with its tiny arms.

"It's ok Happiny. I'm right here." Aly smiled while waving her hands, which calmed it down.

"Isn't Happiny so cute?!" Lyra exclaimed excitedly towards Justin while tugging onto his arm.

"I guess. I'm more interested in seeing the results that come out." Justin remarked with a straight face.

"Do the results really interest you that much? Nothing else?"

"This will be a good chance to see if Happiny can grow into a Pokémon that can properly protect Aly if the occasion arises."

His tone was serious and his expression was composed. Justin's thoughts were about Aly's safety first. Lyra began to wonder about her friend and his new outlook. It made him seem confident and kind of cool. However, it just wasn't the same.

"All right! Initiate the scanners." Gary stated.

Jack and Jill began typing codes into the computer, which made the scanners drop down slowly from the ceiling towards Happiny. Aly used some colourful pictures of other baby Pokémon playing to distract Happiny from the machines, which worked out well. Gary signalled with his hands to inform Jack and Jill the scanners had reached their position, where they then began to glow with a red light.

"Starting genetic scan." Jill said.

A hologram flat laser shot out from the top of the scanner lights, and began to gradually lower down to scan Happiny's body. An image came up on the screen in the shape of Happiny's body. There were different indicators, designs and colours inside the body's shape that Aly, Lyra and Justin had no idea what they were. Stats and numbers fluctuated on the side of the screen as the scan went further down the Pokémon's body.

Happiny was still very distracted from Aly's picture cards and didn't even recognize the sounds the computer and the scanners were making.

The scan went on for about another minute or so before the lights disappeared and the scanners began to rise back to the ceiling. Jack began entering a new code onto the laptop attached to a docking station beside the mega computer. After his final click, a printout came from the printer, which Jill got and began examining. Jack and Gary walked over towards her to observe as well. They began discussing the details quietly amongst each other.

Jill then flipped the printout around to show the trainers.

"All right, let me explain the results." Gary said as he began pointing towards the top of the page.

"Based on the genetic make-up of Happiny, as well as its internal structure, it is projected that Happiny will be in a higher percentile out of Happiny's in terms of body type and growth potential. The cell activity responsible for its appearance and abilities are pretty above average. We've also looked into the areas where Happiny's strength and energy come from, and forecasted it will turn out to be a capable Pokémon should it ever battle. If it ever evolves, that strength might be even greater. There are more stats I can explain, but they may be too complicated. The TL; DR version is with good guidance during its infancy, and proper nutrition and care, Happiny is going to be one healthy Pokémon."

"That's a pretty good reading, Aly. No pressure now." Lyra remarked, nudging Aly's side.

Aly smiled at her friend and laughed softly.

"What's the success rate you guys have with these tests and ratings?" She then asked Gary.

"Out of the many trails we've conducted, we have a 92% accuracy rate. So, I think it's a safe bet that what we've read here is what will happen, assuming you take good care of it." Jack explained.

"That's great to hear!"

Aly then turned to Justin.

"What do you think, Justin?"

"It's good. I think Happiny will make a good partner if you keep up what you're doing." He said with little emotion.

"Are…you sure? You don't sound pleased." Aly asked concernedly.

"It's the truth. I'm glad the results say it will have good strength and energy. It will be useful for battle if the situation presents itself."

Justin quickly turned his attention back to Gary and his associates.

"Hey, do you think you can run a trial on my Mareep?" He asked.

"Well, how old is your Mareep?" Gary asked back.

"It's been in my party for just over a week, and hasn't been in any real strenuous situations as of yet."

Gary, Jack and Jill all looked at each other, and began to consider the request made by the trainer.

"Hey, it'll give you guys a chance to try out on a fairly young, trainer owned Pokémon who does have some growth and personality to it." Justin said convincingly.

After that, the decision between the researchers was much clearer.

"Sure, why not." Gary said.

"Good to hear." Justin proceeded to letting Mareep out of its Pokeball onto the center table. The fluffy electric Pokémon stretched its body out and let out a soft and happy cry. It then looked around and saw all of the big machines and devices around the room, peaking its interest and curiosity. It began to get all excited and rush to the end of the table edges to get a closer glimpse.

"My, don't we have an excited Pokémon here?" Jill remarked smiling.

"It certainly looks like a youngling." Jack added.

"We're going to be doing something different here. Now Justin, can you describe all of Mareep's activities since its birth? Behaviours, diet, training and battle regimens, etc. will apply." Gary asked, pulling a pen and notepad from his lab coat.

"I think Aly would be best suited to tell you that information." He replied quickly while turning to his friend. It caught her off guard for a moment, but shortly nodded and walked up to the head researcher.

Justin, with the help of Aly, then described Mareep to a T. It's shy but determined personality, the specific electric Pokémon food that Aly prepares for it; all of it was laid on the table for Gary.

"And lastly, I have a question for you Justin. Could you describe your relationship with your Pokémon, as well as your goals for them?" Gary asked.

Lyra and Aly looked on at Justin with keen interest. Normally, they would have known what answer Justin would give.

But now, they weren't all that sure.

"I'd like to believe that my Pokémon and I have an unbreakable bond of trust. I will always have their back, but it has to be the same the other way too, even if it means taking one for the team. As for our goals, we're going to get strong as we could in order to not only win the Minero League, but also protect the ones we care about most. We'll do whatever it takes…" Justin stated with conviction in his voice.

Jack and Jill were kind of stunned from the heavy answer given out.

Gary wrote everything down and thought to himself for a second.

"Hm. Thanks for that. Now, we'll begin our test." He said before walking away to the main computer. Jack and Jill also got into their positions.

The scanners from the ceiling began to lower down towards Mareep, which startled the electric Pokémon.

"Relax Mareep. They're just doing a small scan and test on you. You'll be fine," Justin remarked.

Once the scanners reached their position, the test was initiated. The flat laser hologram shot out from the machines and began scanning Mareep top to bottom. Mareep flinched as the laser went through its body, but settled once it realized nothing bad was happening.

Jack and Jill began stating statistics and measures during the test. Gary entered in different key-ins throughout as well.

It was a much more serious atmosphere now, likely due to the first test that didn't include a newly born Pokémon.

"Almost done." Gary said.

"You're doing great Mareep!" Aly and Lyra called out.

That encouragement helped Mareep ease its tension a little as it began to relax.

After a few more moments, the scanner's lights turn off, and the machines began to rise back towards the ceiling. Gary picked up some papers from the printer and began examining them, with Jack and Jill joining him shortly. Their facial expressions showed that the results were not what they expected.

'Well?" Justin asked.

"It's….surprisingly high. Like, really high." Jack stated.

"I've never seen anything this good before." Jill added.

"To be frank, your Mareep topped the charts. Our projections show that it will be in the top percentile of all Mareeps in the world in terms of strength, growth and health. Its potential is insurmountable." Gary said.

Aly and Lyra's eyes widened as they then looked at Mareep, who seemed quite excited upon hearing the news.

"Wow…so Mareep has the potential to be Justin's strongest Pokémon?" Lyra mentioned.

"Those are some big expectations right there. But, I believe Mareep can do it!" Aly remarked.

"Of course, this was the first test of a Pokémon that wasn't a fresh newborn. Even if it is just a week old, we're not sure how accurate the reading is." Gary warned.

Mareep bounced to the end of the table excitedly where Justin was for his reaction. He looked at Mareep with a serious face on, which dampened its happiness and caused the electric Pokémon to sulk downwards.

"Well, we won't know until we try." Justin remarked.

Mareep looked upwards back at its trainer.

"I believe in the results Mareep. I believe you have what it takes to be one of the strongest Pokémon in the world. Maybe even better than that…"

Mareep smiled brightly, as well as Aly and Lyra.

"But, it's going to be a tough road ahead. You're still very raw and inexperienced in terms of training and battling. I've held back because of your youth. But now, that has changed. You'll be put through the same vigorous training regimen that everyone else has been doing. I'm expecting big things from you Mareep, so you better not let me down. There's more at stake now than ever." He added.

Mareep's smile slowly weakened upon hearing Justin's words.

"Justin, did you really have to say it that way?" Aly asked.

"What about the 'I'm going to be with you all the way. We'll get stronger together,' sort of talk?" Lyra added.

"Of course I'm going to be with Mareep all the way. But, we need to put things into perspective. We're fighting a much bigger battle now, so I need to change the way I handle things now. This is serious business now after what we've just been through. We're going to defeat that organization once and for all."

"Justin, this is Mareep we're talking about here. A baby Pokémon that is no more than a week old. It can't fully understand the magnitude of our situation, so you have to choose your words carefully when speaking to it about this." Aly said.

Justin bit his lip and remained quiet.

"But…"

"Look, obviously Mareep is going to help you fight for your goals, but remember keep in mind other important factors of those who you choose to express your wishes too."

"Mareep!" Mareep cried out. The three trainers looked towards the table where the electric Pokémon stood, and saw it having a confident expression on its face.

"You were saying, guys?" Justin remarked. Aly and Lyra then had surprised looks on their faces.

It appeared as though Mareep did understand Justin's words. All that pressure to be thrown right into the training regimen fire, to becoming the strongest Pokémon in Justin's party; Mareep was using those expectations as its drive to prove everyone right. Not bad for a Pokémon just over a week old.

"I don't fully understand what's going on, but it seems Mareep is ready for your challenge, Justin." Gary pointed out. Justin looked to Gary and nodded.

"That's because….we're both going to be heroes."

Justin, Aly and Lyra were escorted out of the building by Gary and his assistants. Once they were outside, the trainers turned towards the researchers.

"Thank you for allowing us to test on your Pokémon today! I hope they become as healthy as we projected them to be!" Gary exclaimed.

"Don't worry, Mareep will be even better than your result." Justin said confidently.

"If you walk south from here, you'll reach Sapphire City, which has a gym there." Jack pointed out.

"Lyra, have you defeated that gym yet?" Aly asked.

"Sure did. It was definitely a toughie. Her water Pokémon really had me going." Lyra responded. Justin turned to her with intrigue.

"Water Pokémon, you say?" Justin asked.

"That's right."

"…well, this will be perfect for Mareep. Let the heavy training begin."

With that Justin bowed towards the researchers, and started to head off.

"Um, thanks again Gary! Good luck with your research!" Aly said quickly before her and Lyra chased after Justin. The three researchers waved back until the trainers disappeared into the horizon.

"An interesting bunch of kids, don't you think?" Jill remarked.

"That Justin fellow…he seemed like he'd been through a lot." Jack added.

"For some reason …I feel as though that wasn't really him. And that's also why I have doubts about Mareep's projections." Gary said.

"Care to explain?" Jill inquired.

"Based on Justin's heavy and heroic-esque answer about his goals for Mareep, it influenced the result of the electric Pokémon being his strongest Pokémon by quite a bit. Mareep was going to be a strong Pokémon anyway, but adding the personality into the mix made it even higher. But, the more I think about Justin, the more I believe that the results aren't as accurate because it wasn't the real him we saw. Whether his real personality would have degraded or increased Mareep's potential is unknown. But, this is just a mad scientist thinking out loud." Gary said, ending in a little chuckle.

"Well, we did give Justin our number so that he can tell us Mareep's progress. I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Jack remarked.

"Indeed we will."

**_And would you look at that?! No battles! Chapter 41 will come sometime in the future...just don't know when lol_**


End file.
